nafl 


s 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


THIRD  EDITION 


OP  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


THE  COLONEL  OF  THE 
RED  HUZZARS 

A  dashing  romance,  in  which  appear  the 
same  characters  as  in  "The  Princess  Dehra." 

"So  naively  fresh  in  its  handling,  BO  plau- 
sible through  its  naturalness,  that  it  comes 
like  a  mountain  breeze  across  the  far-spread- 
ing desert  of  similar  romances." 

—Gazette  Writes,  PitHburg. 

With  three  full-page  illustrations  in  color 

By  CLARENCE  P.  UNDERWOOD 
ISmo.  Decorated  doth,  $1.50 

BEATRIX  OF  CLARE 

A  captivating  story,  the  scenes  of  which  are 
laid  in  England  at  the  time  of  Richard  the 
Third.  The  heroine,  the  Countess  of  Clare,  is 
a  beautiful  and  charming  lady  of  the  court,  a 
prot6g6e  of  the  queeu. 
"Brisk  and  vivid." 

— New  York  Evenittg  Sun. 
"Irresistibly  attractive." 

— Philadelphia  North  American. 
"An  oasis  among  current  romances." 
— Portland  Oregotuan. 
With  four  full-page  illustrations  in  color 

By  CLARENCE  F.  UNDERWOOD 
Itmo.  Decorated  cloth,  fl.50 


"THE  KINO  DID  N'T  SPEAK   A  SINGLE  WORD  TO  ME  ON  SUCH  A   MATTER." 

Page  S6. 


THE  PRINCESS 
DEHRA 


AUTHOR  OF  "THE  COLONEL  OF  THE  RED  HUZZARS, 
"  BEATRIX  OF  CLARE,"  ETC. 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR 
BY    CLARENCE    F.    UNDERWOOD 


PHILADELPHIA    AND    LONDON 
J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY 

1908 


Copyright,  1908,  by  JOHN  RKKD  SOOTT 


Published  May,  1908 


Printed  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company 
The  Washington  Square  Press,  Philadelphia,   U.  &  A. 


TO 
THE  REAL  PRINCESS 


2132G5S 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I — THE  RECALL   11 

II.— To-MORKOW   AND    THE     BOOK 31 

III.— THE    ROYAL   COUNCIL 51 

IV. — THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS 65 

V. — THE  COMPROMISE    77 

VI. — THE   REWARD   OF  A   MEDDLER 91 

VII. — THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING 105 

VIII. — INFERENCE    OR    FACT 117 

IX. — THE    RECKLESS   GAME 127 

X. — A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER 141 

XI.— FIRST  BLOOD 157 

XII.— THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR 172 

XIII. — IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK 189 

XIV. — AN   ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS 206 

XV. — FOUE    O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN 218 

XVI. — A    Too   CONVINCING    ARGUMENT 241 

XVII. — INTO    THE    TIGER'S    CAGE 258 

XVIII.— ON  TO  LOTZENIA 277 

XIX. — LA  DUCHESSE   290 

XX. — THE  PRINCESS  TURNS  STRATEGIST 302 

XXI. — IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY 317 

XXII. — THE  BOOK  IN  THE  CLOTH 339 

XXIII.— THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS..                                 .  348 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

•THE  KINO  DID  N'T  SPEAK  A  SINGLE  WORD  TO  ME  ON  SUCH 
A   MATTER" Frontispiece 

THE  DEAD  MAN  SUPPED  FROM  THE  DESK 102 

SHE  FELL  TO  MANIPULATING  THE  KNOB  WITH  LIGHT  FINGERS  300 

AT  THE  WHISTLE,  DE  COURSEY,  MARSOV  AND  OLD  JES8AC  HAD 

SPRUNG  TO  DEHRA'S  SIDE 328 


THE   PRINCESS   DEHRA 
i 

THE    RECALL 

FOB,  the  first  time  in  a  generation  the  Castle  of 
Lotzen  was  entertaining  its  lord.  He  had  come  sud- 
denly, a  month  before,  and  presently  there  had 
followed  rumors  of  strange  happenings  in  Dornlitz, 
in  which  the  Duke  had  been  too  intimately  concerned 
to  please  the  King,  and  as  punishment  had  been 
banished  to  his  mountain  estates.  But  Lotzenia 
was  far  from  the  Capital  and  isolated,  and  the 
people  cared  more  for  their  crops  and  the  amount 
of  the  tax  levy  than  for  the  doings  of  the  Court. 
And  so  it  concerned  them  very  little  why  the  red 
banner  with  the  golden  cross  floated  from  the  highest 
turret  of  the  old  pile  of  stone,  on  the  spur  of  the 
mountain  overhanging  the  foaming  Dreer.  They 
knew  it  meant  the  Duke  himself  was  in  presence; 
but  to  them  there  was  but  one  over-lord:  the  Dai- 
berg,  who  reigned  in  Dornlitz ;  and  in  him  they  had 
all  pride — for  was  not  the  Dalberg  their  hereditary 
chieftain  centuries  before  he  was  the  King ! 

True,  the  Duke  of  Lotzen  had  long  been  the  Heir 
Presumptive,  and  so,  in  the  prospective,  entitled  to 
their  loyalty,  but  lately  there  had  come  from  across 
the  Sea  a  new  Dalberg,  of  the  blood  of  the  great 

11 


12  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Henry,  who,  it  was  said,  had  displaced  him  in  the 
line  of  Succession,  and  was  to  marry  the  Princess 
Dehra. 

And  at  her  name  every  woman  of  them  curtsied 
and  every  man  uncovered;  blaming  High  Heaven 
the  while,  that  she  might  not  reign  over  them,  when 
Frederick  the  King  were  gone;  and  well  prepared 
to  welcome  the  new  heir  if  she  were  to  be  his  queen. 

At  first  the  Duke  had  kept  to  the  seclusion  of  his 
own  domain,  wide  and  wild  enough  to  let  him  ride 
all  day  without  crossing  its  boundary,  but  after  a 
time  he  came  at  intervals,  with  a  companion  or  two, 
into  the  low-lands,  choosing  the  main  highways,  and 
dallying  occasionally  at  some  cross-road  smithy  for 
a  word  of  gossip  with  those  around  the  forge. 

For  Lotzen  was  not  alone  in  his  exile;  he  might 
be  banished  the  Capital,  but  that  was  no  reason  for 
denying  himself  all  its  pleasures;  and  the  lights 
burned  late  at  the  Castle,  and  when  the  wind  was 
from  the  North  it  strewed  the  valley  with  whisps  of 
music  and  strands  of  laughter.  And  the  country- 
side shook  its  head,  and  marveled  at  the  turning  of 
night  into  day,  and  at  people  who  seemed  never 
to  sleep  except  when  others  worked;  and  not  much 
even  then,  if  the  tales  of  such  of  the  servants  as 
belonged  to  the  locality  were  to  be  believed. 

And  the  revelry  waxed  louder  and  wilder  as  the 
days  passed,  and  many  times  toward  evening  the 
whole  company  would  come  plunging  down  the 
mountain,  and,  with  the  great  dogs  baying  before 


THE  RECALL  13 

them,  go  racing  through  the  valleys  and  back  again 
to  the  Castle,  as  though  some  fiend  were  hot  on  their 
trail  or  they  on  his. 

And  ever  beside  the  Duke,  on  a  great,  black 
horse,  went  the  same  woman,  slender  and  sinuous, 
with  raven  hair  and  dead-white  cheek;  a  feather 
touch  on  rein,  a  careless  grace  in  saddle.  And  as 
they  rode  the  Duke  watched  her  with  glowing  eyes ; 
and  his  cold  face  warmed  with  his  thoughts,  and 
he  would  speak  to  her  earnestly  and  persuasively; 
and  she,  swaying  toward  him,  would  answer  softly 
and  with  a  tantalizing  smile. 

Then,  one  day,  she  had  refused  to  ride. 

"  I  am  tired,"  she  said,  when  at  the  sounding  of 
the  horn  he  had  sought  her  apartments ;  "  let  the 
others  go." 

He  went  over  and  leaned  on  the  back  of  her  chair. 

"  Tired — of  what?  "  he  asked. 

"  Of  everything — of  myself  most  of  all." 

"  And  of  everybody  ?  "  smiling  down  at  her. 

"  One  usually  tires  of  self  last." 

"  And  you  want  to  leave  me?  "  he  asked. 

She  shook  her  head.  "  No,  not  you,  Ferdinand — 
the  others." 

"  Shall  I  send  them  away?  "  he  said  eagerly. 

"  And  make  this  lonely  place  more  lonely  still ! " 

"  I  despise  the  miserable  place,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Then  why  not  to  Paris  to-night?  "  she  asked. 

"  Why  not,  indeed  ?  "  he  answered,  gravely,  "  for 
the  others  and — you." 


14  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  you,  too  ?  "  glancing  up  at  him  and  touch- 
ing, for  an  instant,  his  hand. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  You  forget,  there 
is  a  King  in  Dornlitz !  " 

"  You  would  go  incog,  and  old  Frederick  never 
be  the  wiser,  nor  care  even  if  he  were." 

He  laughed  shortly.  "  Think  you  so,  ma  belle, — 
well,  believe  me,  I  want  not  to  be  the  one  to  try 
him." 

The  horn  rang  out  again  from  the  court-yard; 
the  Duke  crossed  to  a  window. 

"  Go  on,"  he  called,  "  we  will  follow  presently ;  " 
and  with  a  clatter  and  a  shout,  they  spurred  across 
the  bridge  and  away. 

"  Who  leads  ?  "  she  asked,  going  over  and  draw- 
ing herself  up  on  the  casement. 

He  put  his  arm  around  her.  "  What  matters," 
he  laughed,  "  since  we  are  here?  "  and  bent  his  head 
to  her  cheek. 

"  Let  us  go  to  Paris,  dear,"  she  whispered, 
caressingly ;  "  to  the  boulevards  and  the  music,  the 
life,  and  the  color." 

He  shook  his  head.  "  You  don't  know  what  you 
ask,  little  one — once  I  might  have  dared  it,  but  not 
now — no,  not  now." 

She  drew  a  bit  nearer.  *'  And  would  the  penalty 
now  be  so  very  serious?  "  she  asked. 

He  looked  at  her  a  while  uncertainly;  and  she 
smiled  back  persuasively.  She  knew  that  he  was  in 
disfavor  because  of  his  plots  against  the  Archduke 


THE  RECALL  15 

Armand's  honor  and  life ;  and  that  he  had  been  sent 
hither  in  disgrace;  but  all  along  what  had  puzzled 
her  was  his  calm  acquiescence;  his  remaining  in  this 
desolation,  with  never  a  word  of  anger  toward  the 
King,  nor  disposition  to  slip  away  surreptitiously  to 
haunts  beyond  the  border.  Why  should  he  be  so 
careful  not  to  transgress  even  the  spirit  of  the  royal 
order? — he  who  had  not  hesitated  to  play  a  false 
wife  against  the  Archduke  Armand,  to  try  assassina- 
tion, and  to  arrange  deliberately  to  kill  him  in  a 
duel.  She  remembered  well  that  evening  in  her 
reception  room,  at  the  Hotel  Metzen  in  Dornlitz, 
when  Lotzen's  whole  scheme  had  suddenly  col- 
lapsed like  a  house  of  cards.  She  recalled  the 
King's  very  words  of  sentence  when,  at  last, 
he  had  deigned  to  notice  the  Duke.  "  The  Court 
has  no  present  need  of  plotters  and  will  be  the 
better  for  your  absence,"  he  had  said.  "  It  has  been 
over  long  since  you  have  visited  your  titular  estates 
and  they  doubtless  require  your  immediate  attention. 
You  are,  therefore,  permitted  to  depart  to  them 
forthwith — and  to  remain  indefinitely."  Surely,  it 
was  very  general  and  precluded  only  a  return  to 
Dornlitz. 

That  the  question  of  the  succession  was  be- 
hind it  all,  she  was  very  well  persuaded;  the  family 
laws  of  the  Dalbergs  were  secret,  undisclosed  to  any 
but  the  ranking  members  of  the  House,  but  the 
Crown  had  always  descended  by  male  primogeniture. 
The  advent  of  Armand,  the  eldest  male  descendant 


16  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

of  Hugo  Dalberg  (who  had  been  banished  by  his 
father,  the  Great  Henry,  when  he  had  gone  to 
America  and  taken  service  under  Washington)  had 
tangled  matters,  for  Armand  was  senior  in  line  to 
Lotzen.  It  was  known  that  Henry,  shortly  before 
his  death,  had  revoked  the  former  decree  and  re- 
stored Hugo  and  his  children  to  their  rank  and 
estates ;  and  Frederick  had  proclaimed  this  decree  to 
the  Nation  and  had  executed  it  in  favor  of  Armand, 
making  him  an  Archduke  and  Colonel  of  the  Red 
Huzzars.  But  what  no  one  knew  was  whether 
Lotzen  had  hereby  been  displaced  as  Heir  Pre- 
sumptive. How  far  did  the  Great  Henry's  decree  of 
restoration  extend?  How  far  had  Frederick  made 
it  effective  ?  In  short,  would  the  next  King  be  Ferdi- 
nand, Duke  of  Lotzen,  or  Armand,  Archduke  of 
Valeria  ? 

And  to  Madeline  Spencer  the  answer  was  of  deep 
concern;  and  she  had  been  maneuvering  to  draw  it 
from  the  Duke  ever  since  she  had  come  to  the  Castle. 
But  every  time  she  had  led  up  to  it,  he  had  led  away, 
and  with  evident  deliberation.  Plainly  there  was 
something  in  the  Laws  that  made  it  well  for  him  to 
drive  the  King  no  further ;  and  what  could  it  be  but 
the  power  to  remove  him  as  Heir  Presumptive. 

And  as  Lotzen  knew  the  answer,  she  wor^d  know 
it,  too.  If  he  were  not  to  be  king,  she  haJ  no  no- 
tion to  entangle  herself  further  with  him ;  he  was 
then  too  small  game  for  her  bow;  and  there  would 
be  a  very  chill  welcome  for  her  in  Dora1  z  from 


THE  RECALL  IT 

Queen  Dehra.  But  should  he  get  the  Crown — well, 
there  are  worse  positions  than  a  king's  favorite — 
for  a  few  months — the  open-handed  months. 

So  she  slipped  an  arm  about  his  shoulders  and  let 
a  whisp  of  perfumed  hair  flirt  across  his  face. 

"  Tell  me,  dear,"  she  said,  "why  won't  you  go  to 
Paris?" 

He  laughed  and  lightly  pinched  her  cheek.  "  Be- 
cause I  'm  surer  of  you  here.  Paris  breeds  too  many 
rivals." 

"  Yet  I  left  them  all  to  come  here,"  she  answered. 

"  But  now  you  would  go  back." 

She  smiled  up  at  him.  "  Yes,  but  with  you,  dear 
— not  alone."  Her  hand  stole  into  his.  "  Tell  me, 
sweetheart,  why  you  will  not  go — might  it  cause 
Frederick  to  deprive  you  of  the  succession  ?  " 

For  a  space  the  Duke  made  no  answer,  gazing  the 
while  steadily  into  the  distance,  with  eyebrows 
slightly  drawn.  And  she,  having  dared  so  far,  dared 
further. 

"  Surely,  dear,  he  would  not  wrong  you  by  mak- 
ing Armand  king ! "  she  exclaimed,  as  though  the 
thought  had  but  that  moment  come. 

He  turned  to  her  with  quick  sympathy,  a  look  of 
warm  appreciation  in  his  eyes.  The  answer  she  had 
played  for  trembled  on  his  lips — then  died 
unspoken. 

He  bent  down  and  kissed  her  forehead. 

"  We  of  the  Dalbergs  still  believe,  my  dear,  that 
the  King  can  do  no  wrong,"  he  said,  and  swung  her 
2 


18  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

to  the  floor.  "  Come,  let  us  walk  on  the  wall,  and 
forget  everything  except  that  we  are  together,  and 
that  I  love  you." 

She  closed  her  eyes  to  hide  the  flash  of  angry 
disappointment,  though  her  voice  was  calm  and  easy. 

"Love!"  she  laughed;  "love!  what  is  it?  The 
infatuation  of  the  moment — the  pleasure  of  an 
hour." 

"  And  hence  this  eagerness  for  Paris  ?  " 

She  gave  him  a  quick  glance.  "  May  be,  my 
lord,  to  prolong  our  moment ;  to  extend  our  hour." 

He  paused,  his  hand  upon  the  door. 

"  And  otherwise  are  they  ended  ? "  he  asked 
quietly. 

She  let  her  eyes  seek  the  door.     "  No — not  yet." 

He  slowly  closed  the  door  and  leaned  against  it. 

"  My  dear  Madeline,"  he  said,  "  let  us  deal 
frankly  with  each  other.  I  am  not  so  silly  as  to 
think  you  love  me,  though  I  'm  willing  to  admit  I 
wish  you  did.  You  have  fascinated  me — ever  since 
that  evening  in  the  Hanging  Garden  when  you 
made  the  play  of  being  the  Archduke  Armand's 
wife.  Love  may  be  what  you  style  it : '  the  infatua- 
tion of  the  moment;  the  pleasure  of  an  hour.'  If 
so,  for  you,  my  moment  and  my  hour  still  linger. 
But  with  you,  I  know,  there  is  a  different  motive; 
you  may  like  me  passing  well — I  believe  you  do — 
yet  it  was  not  that  which  brought  you  here,  away 
from  Paris — '  the  boulevards  and  the  music.'  You 
came  because — well,  what  matters  the  because:  you 


THE  RECALL  19 

came;  and  for  that  I  am  very  grateful;  they  have 
been  pleasant  days  for  me " 

She  had  been  gazing  through  the  window;  now 
she  looked  him  in  the  eyes. 

"  And  for  me  as  well,"  she  said. 

"  I  am  glad,"  he  answered  gravely — "  and  it  shall 
not  be  I  that  ends  them.  You  wish  to  know  if  I  am 
still  the  Heir  Presumptive.  You  shall  have  your 
answer :  I  do  not  know.  It  rests  with  the  King.  He 
has  the  power  to  displace  me  in  favor  of  Armand." 

She  smiled  comprehendingly.  It  was  as  she  had 
feared. 

"  And  the  Princess  Royal  is  betrothed  to  Ar- 
mand," she  commented. 

Lotzen  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  Just  so,"  he 
said.  "  Do  you  wonder  I  may  not  go  to  Paris  ?  " 

She  went  over  to  the  fireplace,  and  sitting  on  the 
arm  of  a  chair  rested  her  slender  feet  on  the  fender, 
her  silk  clad  ankles  glistening  in  the  fire-light. 

"  I  don't  quite  understand,"  she  said,  "  why,  when 
the  American  was  restored  to  Hugo's  rank,  he  did 
not,  by  that  very  fact,  become  also  Heir  Presump- 
tive— his  line  is  senior  to  yours." 

There  was  room  on  the  chair  arm  for  another  and 
he  took  it. 

"  You  have  touched  the  very  point,"  he  said. 
"  Henry  the  Third  himself  restored  Hugo  and  his 
heirs  to  rank  and  estate;  but  it  needs  Frederick's 
decree  to  make  him  eligible  to  the  Crown." 

"  And  has  he  made  it?  " 


20  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

He  shook  his  head.    "  I  do  not  know " 

"  But,  surely,  it  would  be  promulgated,  if  he 
had." 

"  Very  probably ;  but  not  necessarily.  All  that  is 
required  is  a  line  in  the  big  book  which  for  centuries 
has  contained  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs." 

She  studied  the  tip  of  her  shoe,  tapping  it  the 
while  on  the  fender  rod. 

"  When  will  this  marriage  be  solemnized  ?  "  she 
asked. 

He  laughed  rather  curtly.    "  Never,  I  hope." 

She  gave  him  a  quick  look.  "  So — the  wound 
still  hurts.  I  beg  your  pardon;  I  did  not  mean  to 
be  unkind.  I  was  only  thinking  that,  if  the  decree 
were  not  yet  made,  the  wedding  would  be  sure  to 
bring  it." 

He  put  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  drew  her 
over  until  the  black  hair  pressed  his  shoulder. 

"  Nay,  Madeline,  you  are  quite  wrong,"  he  said. 
"  The  Princess  is  nothing  to  me  now — nothing  but 
the  King's  daughter  and  the  American's  chief  advo- 
cate. I  meant  what  you  did: — that  the  marriage 
will  lose  me  the  Crown." 

For  a  moment  she  suffered  his  embrace,  watching 
him  the  while  through  half  closed  eyes;  then  she 
drew  away. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  way  to  prevent  the  mar- 
riage," she  remarked,  her  gaze  upon  the  fire. 

He  arose  and,  crossing  to  the  table,  found  a 
cigarette. 


THE  RECALL  21 

"  Can  you  suggest  a  way  ?  "  he  asked,  his  back 
toward  her,  the  match  aflame,  poised  before  his  face. 

She  had  turned  and  was  watching  him  with 
sharp  interest,  but  she  did  not  answer,  and  when  he 
glanced  around,  in  question,  she  was  looking  at  the 
fire. 

"  Want  a  cigarette  ?  "  he  said. 

She  nodded,  and  he  took  it  to  her  and  held  the 
match  for  its  lighting. 

"  I  asked  you  if  you  could  suggest  a  way,"  he 
remarked. 

She  blew  a  smoke  ring  toward  the  ceiling.  "  Yes, 
go  back  to  Dornlitz  and  kill  the  American." 

"  Will  you  go  with  me  ?  "  banteringly . 

"  Indeed  I  won't,"  with  a  reminiscent  smile ;  "  I 
have  quite  too  vivid  a  memory  of  my  recent  visit 
there." 

"  And  the  killing — shall  I  do  it  by  proxy  or  in 
person  ?  " 

"  Any  way — so  it  is  done — though  one's  best 
servant  is  one's  self,  you  know." 

He  had  thought  her  jesting,  but  now  he  leaned 
forward  to  see  her  face. 

"  Surely,  you  do  not  mean  it,"  he  said  uncertainly. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  she  asked.  "  It 's  true  you  have 
already  tried  both  ways — and  failed ;  but  that  is  no 
assurance  of  the  future.  The  second,  or  some  other 
try  may  win." 

A  tolerant  smile  crossed  his  lips.     "  And  mean- 


22  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

while,  of  course,  the  American  would  wait  patiently 
to  be  killed." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  You  seem  to  have 
forgot  that  steel  vests  do  not  protect  the  head ;  and 
that  several  swords  might  penetrate  a  guard  which 
one  could  not." 

"  Surely,"  he  exclaimed,  "  surely,  you  must  have 
loved  this  man !  " 

She  put  his  words  aside  with  a  wave  of  her  hand. 

"  My  advice  is  quite  impersonal,"  she  said — "  and 
it  is  only  trite  advice  at  that,  as  you  know.  You 
have  yourself  considered  it  already  scores  of  times, 
and  have  been  deterred  only  by  the  danger  to  your- 
self." 

He  laughed.  "  I  'm  glad  you  cannot  go  over  to 
my  enemies.  You  read  my  mind  too  accurately." 

"  Nonsense,"  she  retorted ;  "  Armand  knows  it 
quite  as  well  as  I,  though  possibly  he  may  not  yet 
have  realized  how  timid  you  have  grown." 

"Timid!" 

She  nodded.  "  Yes,  timid ;  you  had  plenty  of 
nerve  at  first,  when  the  American  came ;  but  it  seema 
to  have  run  to  water." 

"  And  I  shall  lose,  you  think?  " 

She  tossed  the  cigarette  among  the  red  ashes  and 
arose. 

"  Why  should  you  win,  Ferdinand  ?  "  she  asked — 
then  a  sly  smile  touched  her  lips — "  so  far  as  I  have 
observed,  you  have  n't  troubled  even  so  much  as  to 
pray  for  success." 


THE  RECALL  23 

He  leaned  forward  and  drew  her  back  to  the  place 
beside  him. 

"  Patience,  Madeline,  patience,"  said  he ;  "  some 
day  I  'm  going  back  to  Dornlitz." 

"  To  see  the  Archduke  Armand  crowned  ?  "  she 
scoffed. 

He  bent  his  head  close  to  her  ear.  "  I  trust  so — 
with  the  diadem  that  never  fades." 

She  laughed.  "  Trust  and  hope  are  the  weapons 
of  the  apathetic.  Why  don't  you,  at  least,  deal  in 
predictions;  sometimes  they  inspire  deeds." 

"  Very  good,"  he  said  smilingly.  "  I  predict  that 
there  is  another  little  game  for  you  and  me  to  play 
in  Dornlitz,  and  that  we  shall  be  there  before  many 
days." 

"  You  are  an  absent-minded  prophet,"  she  said ; 
"  I  told  you  I  would  not  go  to  Dornlitz." 

"  But  if  I  need  you,  Madeline?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  Transfer  the  game  to 
Paris,  or  any  place  outside  Valeria,  and  I  will  gladly 
be  your  partner." 

He  took  her  hand.  "  Will  nothing  persuade 
you?" 

She  faced  him  instantly.  "  Nothing,  my  lord, 
nothing,  so  long  as  Frederick  is  king." 

The  Duke  lifted  her  hand  and  tapped  it  softly 
against  his  cheek. 

"  Tres  bien  ma  chere,  ires  bien,"  he  said;  then 
frowned,  as  Mrs.  Spencer's  maid  entered. 

**  Pour  Monsieur  le  Due,"  she  curtsied. 


24  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Lotzen  took  the  card  from  the  salver  and  turned 
it  over. 

"  I  will  see  him  at  once,"  he  said ;  "  have  him 

shown  to  my  private  cabinet It  is 

Bigler,"  he  explained. 

"  Why  not  have  him  here  ?  " 

He  hesitated. 

"  Oh,  very  well ;  I  thought  you  trusted  me." 

He  struck  the  bell.  "  Show  Count  Bigler  here," 
he  ordered.  Then  when  the  maid  had  gone :  "  There, 
Madeline,  that  should  satisfy  you,  for  I  have  no 
idea  what  brings  him." 

She  went  quickly  to  him,  and  leaning  over  his 
shoulder  lightly  kissed  his  cheek. 

"  I  knew  you  trusted  me,  dear,"  she  said,  "  but  a 
woman  likes  to  have  it  demonstrated,  now  and  then." 

He  turned  to  catch  her ;  but  she  sprang  away. 

"  No,  Ferdinand,  no,"  as  he  pursued  her ;  "  the 
Count  is  coming — go  and  sit  down." — She  tried  to 
reach  her  boudoir,  but  with  a  laugh  he  headed  her 
off,  and  slowly  drove  her  into  a  corner. 

"  Surrender,"  he  said ;  "  I  '11  be  merciful." 

For  answer  there  came  the  swish  of  high-held 
skirts,  a  vision  of  black  silk  stockings  and  white 
lace,  and  she  was  across  a  huge  sofa,  and,  with 
flushed  face  and  merry  eyes,  had  turned  and  faced 
him. 

And  as  they  stood  so,  Count  Bigler  was  an- 
nounced. 

"  Welcome,  my  dear  Bigler,  welcome !  "  the  Duke 


THE  RECALL  25 

exclaimed,  hurrying  over  to  greet  him ;  "  you  are 

surely  Heaven  sent Madame  Spencer, 

I  think  you  know  the  Count." 

She  saw  the  look  of  sharp  surprise  that  Bigler 
tried  to  hide  by  bowing  very  low,  and  she  laughed 
gayly. 

"  Indeed,  you  do  come  in  good  time,  my  lord,"  she 
said ;  "  we  were  so  put  to  for  amusement  we  were 
reduced  to  playing  tag  around  the  room — don't  be 
shocked ;  you  will  be  playing  it  too,  if  you  are  here 
for  long." 

"  If  it  carry  the  usual  penalty,"  he  answered, 
joining  in  her  laugh,  "  I  am  very  ready  to  play  it 
now." 

"  Doubtless,"  said  the  Duke  dryly,  motioning  him 
to  a  chair.  "  But  first,  tell  us  the  gossip  of  the 
Capital ;  we  have  heard  nothing  for  weeks.  What 's 
my  dear  cousin  Armand  up  to — not  dying,  I 
fear?" 

"  Dying !  Not  he — not  while  there  are  any  honors 
handy,  with  a  doting  King  to  shower  them  on  him, 
and  a  Princess  waiting  for  wife." 

The  Duke's  face,  cold  at  best,  went  yet  colder. 

"  Has  the  wedding  date  been  announced?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Not  formally,  but  I  understand  it  has  been  fixed 
for  the  twenty-seventh." 

Lotzen  glanced  at  a  calendar.  "  Three  weeks 
from  to-morrow — well,  much  may  happen  in  that 
time.  Come,"  he  said  good-naturedly,  shaking  off 


26  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  irritation,  "  tell  us  all  you  know — everything — 
from  the  newest  dance  at  the  opera  to  the  tattle  of 
the  Clubs.  I  said  you  were  Heaven  sent — now  prove 
it.  But  first — was  it  wise  for  you  to  come  here? 
What  will  Frederick  say  ?  " 

The  Count  laughed.  "  Oh,  I  'm  not  here ;  I  'm  in 
Paris,  on  two  weeks  leave." 

"  Paris !  "  the  Duke  exclaimed.  "  Surely,  this 
Paris  fever  is  the  very  devil ;  are  you  off  to-night  or 
in  the  morning?  " 

Bigler  shot  a  quick  glance  at  Mrs.  Spencer,  and 
understood. 

"  I  'm  not  to  Paris  at  all,"  he  said,  "  unless  you 
send  me." 

"  He  won't  do  that,  Monsieur  le  Comte,"  the  lady 
laughed;  and  Lotzen,  who  had  quite  missed  the 
hidden  meaning  in  their  words,  nodded  in  affirm- 
ance. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  your  budget — out  with  it. 
I  'm  athirst  for  news." 

The  Count  drew  out  a  cigar  and,  at  Mrs.  Spen- 
cer's smile  of  permission,  he  lighted  it,  and  began  his 
tale.  And  it  took  time  in  the  telling,  for  the  Duke 
was  constant  in  his  questions,  and  a  month  is  very 
long  for  such  as  he  to  be  torn  from  his  usual  life 
and  haunts. 

And,  through  it  all,  Mrs.  Spencer  lay  back  in 
sinuous  indolence  among  the  cushions  on  the  couch 
before  the  fire,  one  hand  behind  her  shapely  head, 
her  eyes,  languidly  indifferent,  upon  the  two  men, 


THE  RECALL  27 

her  thoughts  seemingly  far  away.  And  while  he 
talked,  Count  Bigler  watched  her  curiously,  but 
discreetly.  This  was  the  first  time  he  had  seen  the 
famous  "  Woman  in  Black "  so  closely,  and  her 
striking  beauty  fairly  stunned  him.  He  knew  his 
Paris  and  Vienna  well,  but  her  equal  was  not  there 
— no,  nor  elsewhere,  he  would  swear.  Truly,  he  had 
wasted  his  sympathy  on  Lotzen — he  needed  none  of 
it  with  such  a  companion  for  his  exile. 

And  she,  unseeing,  yet  seeing  all,  read  much  of 
his  thoughts ;  and  presently,  from  behind  her  heavy 
lashes,  she  flashed  a  smile  upon  him — half  challenge, 
half  rebuke — then  turned  her  face  from  him,  nor 
shifted  it  until  the  fading  daylight  wrapped  her  in 
its  shadow. 

"  There,  my  tale  is  told,"  the  Count  ended.  "  I  'm 
empty  as  a  broken  bottle — and  as  dry,"  and  he 
poured  himself  a  glass  of  wine  from  the  decanter  on 
a  side  table. 

"  You  are  a  rare  gossip,  truly,"  said  the  Duke ; 
"  but  you  have  most  carefully  avoided  the  one  matter 
that  interests  me  most: — what  do  they  say  of  me 
inDornlitz?" 

Bigler  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  Why  ask?  "  he 
said.  "  You  know  quite  well  the  Capital  does  not 
love  you." 

"  And,  therefore,  no  reason  for  me  to  be  sensitive. 
Come,  out  with  it.  What  do  they  say  ?  " 

"  Very  well,"  said  Bigler,  "  if  you  want  it,  here 
it  is: — they  have  the  notion  that  you  are  no  longer 


28  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  Heir  Presumptive,  and  it  seems  to  give  them  vast 
delight." 

The  Duke  nodded.  "  And  on  what  is  the  notion 
based?" 

"  Originally,  on  hope,  I  fancy ;  but  lately  it  has 
become  accepted  that  the  King  not  only  has  the 
power  to  displace  you,  but  has  actually  signed  the 
decree." 

"  And  Frederick — does  he  encourage  the  idea  ?  " 

The  Count  shook  his  head.  "  No,  except  by  his 
open  fondness  for  the  American." 

"  I  've  been  urged  to  go  to  Dornlitz  and  kill  the 
American,"  Lotzen  remarked,  with  a  smile  and  a 
nod  toward  Mrs.  Spencer. 

"  If  you  can  kill  him,"  said  Bigler  instantly,  "  the 
advice  is  excellent." 

"  Exactly.  And  if  I  can't,  it 's  the  end  of  me — • 
and  my  friends." 

"  I  think  your  friends  would  gladly  try  the  haz- 
ard," the  Count  answered.  "  It  is  dull  prospect  and 
small  hope  for  them,  even  now.  And  candidly,  my 
lord,  to  my  mind,  it  Js  your  only  chance,  if  you  wish 
the  Crown;  for,  believe  me,  the  Archduke  Armand 
is  fixed  for  the  succession,  and  the  day  he  weds  the 
Princess  Royal  will  see  him  formally  proclaimed." 

The  Duke  strode  to  the  far  end  of  the  room  and 
back  again. 

"  Is  that  your  honest  advice — to  go  to  Dorn- 
litz? "  he  asked. 

The  other  arose  and  raised  his  hand  in  salute. 


THE  RECALL  29 

"  It  is,  sir ;  and  not  mine  alone,  but  Gimels'  and 
Rosen's  and  Whippen's,  and  all  the  others' — that  is 
what  brought  me  here." 

"  And  have  you  any  plan  arranged  ?  " 

The  Count  nodded  ever  so  slightly,  then  looked 
the  Duke  steadily  in  the  face — and  the  latter  under- 
stood. 

He  turned  to  Madeline  Spencer.  "  Come  nearer, 
my  dear,"  he  said,  "  we  may  need  your  quick  wit — 
there  is  plotting  afoot." 

She  gave  him  a  smile  of  appreciation,  and  came 
and  took  the  chair  he  offered,  and  he  motioned  for 
Bigler  to  proceed. 

"  But,  first,  tell  me,"  he  interjected,  "  am  I  to  go 
to  Dornlitz  openly  or  in  disguise?  I  don't  fancy  the 
latter." 

"  Openly,"  said  the  Count.  "  Having  been  in 
exile  a  month,  you  can  venture  to  return  and  throw 
yourself  on  Frederick's  mercy.  We  think  he  will 
receive  you  and  permit  you  to  remain — but,  at  least, 
it  will  give  you  two  days  in  Dornlitz,  and,  if  our 
plan  does  not  miscarry,  that  will  be  quite  ample." 

"  Very  good,"  the  Duke  commented ;  "  but  my 
going  will  depend  upon  how  I  like  your  plot ;  let  us 
have  it — and  in  it,  I  trust  you  have  not  overlooked 
my  fiasco  at  the  Vierle  Masque  and  so  hung  it  all  on 
my  single  sword." 

"  Your  sword  may  be  very  necessary,  but,  if  so,  it 
won't  be  alone.  We  have  several  plans — the  one  we 
hope  to " 


30  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

A  light  tap  on  the  door  interrupted  him,  and  a 
servant  entered,  with  the  bright  pink  envelope  that, 
in  Valeria,  always  contained  a  telegram. 

"  My  recall  to  Court,"  laughed  the  Duke,  and 
drawing  out  the  message  glanced  at  it  indifferently. 

But  it  seemed  to  take  him  unduly  long  to  read  it ; 
and  when,  at  length,  he  folded  it,  his  face  was  very 
grave ;  and  he  sat  silent,  staring  at  the  floor,  creasing 
and  recreasing  the  sheet  with  nervous  fingers,  and 
quite  oblivious  to  the  two  who  were  watching  him, 
and  the  servant  standing  stiffly  at  attention  at  his 
side. 

Suddenly,  from  without,  arose  a  mad  din  of 
horses'  hoofs  and  human  voices,  as  the  returning 
cavalcade  dashed  into  the  courtyard,  women  and 
men  yelling  like  fiends  possessed.  And  it  roused  the 
Duke. 

"  You  may  go,"  to  the  footman ;  "  there  is  no 
answer  now."  He  waited  until  the  door  closed ;  then 
held  up  the  telegram.  "  His  Majesty  died,  sud- 
denly, this  afternoon,"  he  said. 

Count  Bigler  sprang  half  out  of  his  chair. 

"  Frederick  dead !  the  King  dead !  "  he  cried — 
"  then,  in  God's  name,  who  now  is  king — you  or  the 
American  ?  " 

The  Duke  arose.  "  That  is  what  we  are  about  to 
find  out,"  he  said,  very  quietly.  "  Come,  we  will  go 
to  Dornlitz." 


II 

TO-MORROW   AND    THE    BOOK 

.FREDERICK  or  VALERIA  had  died  as  every  strong 
man  wants  to  die:  suddenly  and  in  the  midst  of  his 
affairs,  with  the  full  vigor  of  life  still  upon  him  and 
no  premonition  of  the  end.  It  had  been  a  sharp 
straightening  in  saddle,  a  catch  of  breath,  a  lift  of 
hand  toward  heart,  and  then,  with  the  great  band 
of  the  Foot  Guards  thundering  before  him,  and  the 
regiment  swinging  by  in  review,  he  had  sunk  slowly 
over  and  into  the  arms  of  the  Archduke  Armand. 
And  as  he  held  him,  there  was  a  quick  touch  of  sur- 
geon's fingers  to  pulse  and  breast,  a  shake  of  head, 
a  word;  and  then,  sorrowfully  and  in  silence,  they 
bore  him  away ;  while  the  regiment,  wheeling  sharply 
into  line,  spread  across  the  parade  and  held  back 
the  populace.  And  presently,  as  the  people  lingered, 
wondering  and  fearful,  and  the  Guards  stood  stolid 
in  their  ranks,  the  royal  standard  on  the  great  tower 
of  the  Castle  dropped  slowly  to  half  staff,  and  the 
mellow  bell  of  the  Cathedral  began  to  toll,  to  all 
Valeria,  the  mournful  message  that  her  King  was 
dead. 

And  far  out  in  the  country  the  Princess  Dehra 
heard  it,  but  faintly ;  and  drawing  rein,  she  listened 
in  growing  trepidation  for  a  louder  note.  Was  it 

31 


32  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  Cathedral  bell? — the  bell  that  tolled  only  when  a 
Dalberg  died!  For  a  while  she  caught  no  stroke, 
and  the  fear  was  passing,  when  down  the  wind  it 
came,  clear  and  strong — and  again — and  yet  again. 

And  with  blanched  cheek  and  fluttering  heart  she 
was  racing  at  top  speed  toward  Dornlitz,  staying 
neither  for  man  nor  beast,  nor  hill  nor  stream,  the 
solemn  clang  smiting  her  ever  harder  and  harder  in 
the  face.  There  were  but  two  for  whom  it  could  be 
speaking,  her  father  and  her  lover — for  she  gave  no 
thought  to  Lotzen  or  his  brother,  Charles.  And 
now,  which? — which? — which?  Mile  after  mile 
went  behind  her  in  dust  and  flying  stones,  until 
six  were  passed,  and  then  the  outer  guard  post  rose 
in  front. 

"  The  bell ! "  she  cried,  as  the  sentry  sprang  to 
attention,  "  the  bell,  man,  the  bell?  " 

The  soldier  grounded  arms. 

"  For  the  King,"  he  said. 

But  as  the  word  was  spoken  she  was  gone — joy 
and  sorrow  now  fighting  strangely  in  her  heart — 
and  as  she  dashed  up  the  wide  Avenue,  the  men  un- 
covered and  the  women  breathed  a  prayer;  but  she, 
herself,  saw  only  the  big,  gray  building  with  the 
drooping  flag,  and  toward  it  she  sped,  the  echo  of 
the  now  silent  bell  still  ringing  in  her  ears. 

The  Castle  gates  were  closed,  and  before  them 
with  drawn  swords,  stern  and  impassive,  sat  two 
huge  Cuirassiers  of  the  Guard;  they  heard  the 
nearing  hoof  beats,  and,  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        33 

that  hung  about  the  entrance,  they  saw  and  under- 
stood. 

"  Stand  back !  "  they  cried ;  "  stand  back — the 
Princess  comes ! " 

And  the  gates  swung  open,  and  the  big  sorrel 
horse,  reeking  with  sweat  and  flecked  with  foam  and 
dust,  flashed  by,  and  on  across  the  courtyard.  And 
Colonel  Moore,  who  was  about  to  ride  away,  sprang 
down  and  swung  her  out  of  saddle. 

"  Take  me  to  him,"  she  said  quietly,  as  he  stood 
aside  to  let  her  pass. 

She  swayed  slightly  at  the  first  step,  and  her  legs 
seemed  strangely  stiff  and  heavy,  but  she  slipped 
her  hand  through  his  arm  and  drove  herself  along. 
And  so  he  led  her,  calm  and  dry-eyed,  down  the  long 
corridor  and  through  the  ante-room  to  the  King's 
chamber,  and  all  who  met  them  bowed  head  and 
drew  back.  At  the  threshold  she  halted. 

"  Do  you  please  bid  all  retire,"  she  said.  "  I 
would  see  my  father  alone." 

And  when  he  had  done  her  will,  he  came  and  held 
open  the  door  for  her  a  little  way,  then  stood  at 
attention  and  raised  his  hand  in  salute;  and  the 
Princess  went  in  to  her  dead. 

Meanwhile,  the  Archduke  Armand  was  searching 
for  the  Princess.  The  moment  he  had  seen  the  King 
at  rest  in  the  Castle,  declining  all  escort,  he  had 
galloped  away  for  the  Summer  Palace,  first  ordering 
that  no  information  should  be  conveyed  there  by  tele- 
phone. It  was  a  message  for  him  to  deliver  in 
3 


34  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

person,  though  he  shrank  from  it,  as  only  a  man 
can  shrink  from  such  a  duty.  But  he  knew  nothing 
of  the  Cathedral  bell  and  its  tolling,  and  when,  as  he 
neared  the  Park,  the  first  note  broke  upon  him,  he 
listened  in  surprise;  then  he  grasped  its  meaning, 
and  with  an  imprecation,  spurred  the  faster,  racing 
now  with  a  brazen  clapper  as  to  which  should  tell  the 
Princess  first.  And  the  sentry  at  the  gate  stared 
in  wonder;  but  the  officer  on  duty  at  the  main 
entrance  ran  out  to  meet  him,  knowing  instantly  for 
whom  the  bell  was  tolling  and  for  whom  the  Arch- 
duke came. 

"  Her  Highness  is  not  here,"  he  cried.  "  She  rode 
away  alone  by  the  North  Avenue  a  short  while  ago." 

"  Make  report  to  the  Castle  the  instant  she  re- 
turns," Armand  called,  and  was  gone — to  follow  her, 
as  he  thought,  on  the  old  forge  road. 

"  Ye  Gods !  "  the  officer  exclaimed,  "  that  was  the 
King — the  new  King !  "  and  mechanically  he  clicked 
his  heels  together  and  saluted. 

Nor  did  he  imagine  that  all  unwittingly  he  had 
sent  his  master  far  astray ;  for  the  Princess  had  gone 
but  a  little  way  by  the  North  Avenue,  and  then  had 
circled  over  to  the  South  gate. 

And  so  Armand  searched  vainly,  until  at  last, 
bearing  around  toward  Dornlitz,  he  struck  the  main 
highway  and  learned  that  she  had  passed  long  since, 
making  for  the  Capital  as  fast  as  horse  could  run. 
And  he  knew  that  the  Bell  had  been  the  messenger, 
and  that  there  was  now  naught  for  him  to  do  but  to 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        35 

return  with  all  speed  and  give  such  comfort  as  he 
might.  Though  what  to  do  or  to  say  he  had  no 
idea — for  never  before  had  he  been  called  upon  to 
minister  to  a  woman's  grief;  and  he  pondered  upon 
it  with  a  misgiving  that  was  at  its  deepest  when, 
at  length,  he  stood  outside  her  door  and  heard  her 
bid  the  servant  to  admit  him. 

But  if  he  looked  for  tears  and  trembling  he  was 
disappointed,  for  she  met  him  as  she  had  met  those 
in  the  corridor  and  the  ante-room,  dry-eyed  and 
calmly.  And  in  silence  he  took  her  in  his  arms,  and 
held  her  close,  and  stroked  her  shining  hair. 

And  presently  she  put  his  arms  aside,  and  step- 
ping back,  she  curtsied  low  and  very  gravely. 

"Life  to  Your  Majesty!"  she  said;  "long  live 
the  King ! "  and  kissed  his  hand. 

He  raised  her  quickly.  "  Never  bend  knee  to  me, 
Dehra,"  he  said.  "  And  believe  me,  I  had  quite 
forgot  everything  except  that  you  had  lost  your 
father." 

She  went  back  to  him.  "  And  so  had  I,  dear,  until 
you  came;  but  now,  since  he  is  gone,  you  are  all  I 
have — is  it  very  selfish,  then,  for  me  to  think  of  you 
so  soon?  " 

He  drew  her  to  a  chair  and  stood  looking  down 
at  her. 

"  If  it  is,"  he  said,  "  I  am  surely  not  the  one  to 
judge  you." 

She  shook  her  head  sadly.  "  There  is  no  one  to 
judge  but — him,"  she  answered;  "and  he,  I  know, 


36  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

would  give  me  full  approval."  She  was  silent  for  a 
while,  her  thoughts  in  the  darkened  room  across  the 
court,  where  the  tapers  burned  dimly,  and  a  Captain 
of  the  Guard  kept  watch.  And  her  heart  sobbed 
afresh,  though  her  lips  were  mute  and  her  eyes  un- 
dimmed.  At  last  she  spoke. 

"  Is  the  Book  of  Laws  at  the  Summer  Palace  or 
here  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  Armand,  "  I  have  never 
seen  it  except  the  day  that  the  King  read  old 
Henry's  decree  and  offered  me  Hugo's  titles  and 
estates." 

"  Well,  at  least,  he  spoke  of  it  to  you  to-day." 

Armand  shook  his  head.  "  Never  a  word ;  neither 
to-day  nor  for  many  days." 

A  faint  frown  showed  between  her  eyes.  "  Did  n't 
he  mention  to  you,  this  afternoon,  the  matter  of 
the  Succession  ?  " 

"  No." 

She  sat  up  sharply.  "  It  can't  be  he  did  n't " 

The  Archduke  dropped  on  the  floor  at  her  feet 
and  took  her  hand.  "  I  assure  you,  Dehra,  the  King 
did  n't  speak  a  single  word  to  me  on  such  a  matter." 

"  No,  no,"  she  said,  "  you  don't  understand.  I 
mean  it  can  not  be  he  did  n't  make  the  decree." 

"  The  decree ! "  Armand  exclaimed,  though  he 
knew  well  there  was  but  one  she  would  refer  to ;  and 
his  pulse  bounded  fiercely  and  his  face  grew  very 
hot. 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        37 

"  Yes,  dear — the  decree — that  would  have  made 
you  Heir  Presumptive — and  now  Bang." 

"  And  you  think  it  was  drawn  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  The  King  told  you  so?  " 

"Not  directly,  but  by  inference.  I  came  upon 
him  late  last  night  in  his  library,  with  the  Laws  open 
before  him  and  a  pen  in  his  hand ;  and  when  I  ven- 
tured to  voice  my  curiosity,  he  smiled  and  closed  the 
book,  saying,  '  You  may  see  it  to-morrow,  child ; 
after  I  have  told  Armand.'  " 

"  Doubtless  he  intended  to  tell  me  after  the 
review." 

The  Princess  leaned  over  and  put  her  arm  around 
his  neck. 

"  And  now  you  are  the  King,  dear ;  as  he  had 
always  intended  you  should  be,"  she  whispered. 
"  Thank  God,  the  decree  was  made  in  time." 

For  a  while  Armand  toyed  with  her  slender  fingers, 
and  did  not  answer.  Of  course,  she  was  right: — 
it  was  the  decree  they  both  had  been  hoping  for 
so  earnestly,  but  which  neither  had  dared  mention 
to  the  King.  And  now,  when  it  had  come,  and  in 
such  fashion,  was  it  really  worth  the  while.  Worth 
the  turmoil  and  the  trouble,  and,  may  be,  the  fight- 
ing, that  was  sure  to  follow  his  assumption  of  the 
royal  dignity.  Had  Frederick  lived  to  proclaim 
the  decree  and  to  school  the  Nation  into  accepting 
him  as  his  successor,  the  way  would  have  been  easy 
and  well  assured.  But  it  was  vastly  different  now 


38  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

— with  Frederick  dead,  the  decree  yet  to  be  an- 
nounced, and  few,  doubtless,  of  those  in  authority 
around  him,  to  be  depended  on  ,to  aid  him  hold  the 
throne.  Dalberg  though  he  was,  and  now,  by  birth, 
the  Head  of  the  House,  yet  he  was  a  foreigner,  and 
no  people  take  kindly  to  a  foreign  King.  Frederick 
had  died  too  soon — another  year 

And  Dehra,  bending  down  questioning  his  ab- 
straction, read  his  face  and  understood  his  thoughts. 

"  Come,  dear,"  she  said,  "  the  crisis  is  here,  and  we 
must  face  it.  Dismiss  the  idea  that  you  're  a  for- 
eigner. Only  you  and  Lotzen  and  I  are  familiar 
with  our  Laws.  You  forget  that  the  people  do  not 
know  it  required  a  special  decree  to  make  you  eligible 
for  the  Crown ;  and  to  them  you  have  been  the  next 
King  ever  since  you  were  proclaimed  as  Hugo's  heir. 
And  surely  they  have  shown  you  a  rare  good  will, 
and  an  amazing  preference  over  the  Duke.  He 
has  spent  his  whole  life  in  cultivating  their  dislike ; 
do  you  fancy  it  won't  bring  its  harvest  now  ?  " 

He  had  turned  and  was  watching  her  with  an 
indulgent  smile.  It  was  sweet  to  hear  her  argue  so ; 
to  see  her  intense  devotion  to  his  cause ;  her  passion- 
ate desire  that  he  should  sit  in  her  father's  place  and 
rule  the  ancient  monarchy.  And  at  her  first  words, 
and  the  sight  of  her  loving  eyes  and  flushed  cheeks, 
his  doubts  had  vanished,  and  his  decision  had  been 
made.  Yet,  because  he  liked  to  see  her  so,  he  led 
her  on. 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        39 

"But  what  of  the  Nobility,"  he  objected;  "in 
Valeria  they  still  lead  the  people." 

"  True,"  she  answered  instantly,  "  true ;  but  you 
forget  again  that  the  Nobles  are  sworn  to  maintain 
the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs;  and  that  for  centuries 
none  has  ever  broken  faith.  No,  no,  Armand,  they 
will  be  true  to  their  oaths;  they  will  uphold  the 
decree." 

"  Don't  you  think,  dear,"  he  smiled,  "  you  are 
making  it  rather  too  assured  ?  If  the  people  are  for 
me  (or  at  least  are  not  for  Lotzen)  and  the  Nobles 
will  abide  by  the  Laws,  nothing  remains  but  to 
mount  the  Throne  and  seize  the  sceptre." 

"  Just  about  that,  I  fancy,"  she  replied. 

"  And,  meanwhile,  what  will  Lotzen  be  doing?  " 

She  frowned.  "  Whatever  the  Head  of  his  House 
orders  him  to  do.  As  a  Dalberg  he  is  bound  to 
obey." 

"  And  you  think  he  will  obey  ?  " 

"  I  surely  do.  I  cannot  imagine  a  Dalberg  dis- 
honoring the  Book  of  Laws." 

"  I  fear  you  do  not  know  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen," 
said  Armand  seriously.  "  He  intends  to  dispute  the 
Succession.  I  have  never  told  you  how,  long  ago, 
he  warned  me  what  to  expect  if  I  undertook  to  '  filch 
the  Crown,'  as  he  put  it.  It  was  the  afternoon  he 
insulted  me  at  headquarters — the  Vierle  Masque  was 
in  the  evening." 

The  Princess  nodded  eagerly.     "  Yes,"  said  she, 


40  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  yes — I  know — the  time  he  wanted  you  to  toss  up 
a  coin  for  me.  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

The  Archduke  reflected  a  moment.  "  I  can  give 
you  his  exact  words :  '  Do  you  think,'  he  said,  '  that 
I,  who  have  been  the  Heir  Presumptive  since  the 
instant  of  my  birth,  almost,  will  calmly  step  aside 
and  permit  you  to  take  my  place?  Do  you  fancy 
for  an  instant  that  the  people  of  Valeria  would  have 
a  foreigner  for  King?  And  even  if  old  Frederick 
were  to  become  so  infatuated  with  you  that  he  would 
restore  you  to  Hugo's  place  in  the  line  of  Succes- 
sion, do  you  imagine  that  the  House  of  Nobles  would 
hesitate  to  annul  it  the  instant  he  died? ' 

When  he  had  finished,  Dehra's  fingers  were  beat- 
ing a  tattoo  on  the  chair's  arm,  and  her  eyes  were 
snapping — as  once  or  twice  he  had  seen  Frederick's 
snap. 

"  And  I  suppose  you  never  told  the  King?  "  she 
exclaimed. 

"  Naturally  not." 

"  Of  course,  of  course,"  with  a  toss  of  the  hand- 
some head.  "  That 's  a  man's  way — his  silly,  sense- 
less way — never  tell  tales  about  a  rival.  And  as  a 
result,  see  what  a  mess  you  have  made.  Had  you 
informed  the  King,  he  instantly  would  have  pro- 
claimed you  as  his  heir,  and  then  disgraced  Lotzen 
publicly  and  sent  him  into  exile.  And  you  would 
now  be  his  successor,  without  a  shadow  of  opposi- 
tion." 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        41 

Armand  subdued  a  smile.  "  You  don't  under- 
stand, Dehra "  he  began. 

"  Quite  right,"  she  cut  in ;  "  quite  right ;  I  don't. 
Why  did  n't  you  tell  me  ?  I  would  have  told  the 
King,  you  may  be  sure." 

"  Of  course  you  would,  little  woman;  that 's  just 
the  reason  I  did  n't  tell  you." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  the  tattoo  began 
afresh. 

"  I  've  no  patience  with  such  nonsense,"  she  de- 
clared ;  "  Lotzen  deserved  no  gentlemanly  consid- 
eration ;  he  would  have  shown  none  to  you ;  and  be- 
sides, it  was  your  duty  to  your  King  and  your  House 
to  uphold  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs  and  to  prevent 
any  attempt  to  violate  them." 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  lately,  between 
Lotzen  and  myself,  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs  have 
been  sadly  slighted." 

His  bantering  jarred  upon  her.  "  To  me,  Ar- 
mand," she  answered  gravely,  "  our  Laws  are  holy. 
For  almost  a  thousand  years  they  have  been  our 
unchallenged  rule  of  governance.  I  can  understand 
why,  to  you,  they  have  no  sacredness  and  no  senti- 
ment; but  Lotzen  has  been  born  and  bred  under 
them,  and  should  honor  them  with  his  life — and  more 
especially  as  they  alone  made  him  the  Heir  Pre- 
sumptive. But  for  the  decree  of  the  first  Dalberg 
King,  four  hundred  years  ago,  I  would  be  the  Queen- 
regnant  of  Valeria." 

"  It 's  a  pity,  a  crying  pity !  "  he  exclaimed. 


42  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

She  looked  down  at  him  with  shining  eyes.  "  No, 
dear,  it  is  n't ;  once  I  thought  it  was ;  but  now  I  'ra 
quite  content  to  be  Queen-consort." 

He  took  both  her  hands  and  held  them  between 
his  own.  "  That,  dear,  is  what  makes  it  possible, 
and  worth  the  struggle;  and  if  Valeria  does  accept 
me  as  its  King,  it  will  be  solely  for  love  of  you,  and 
to  get  you  for  its  Queen." 

A  smile  of  satisfaction  crossed  her  face.  "  I 
hope  the  people  do  love  me,"  she  said.  "  I  would 
like  to  feel  I  may  have  helped  you,  even  a  little." 

"  A  little !  but  for  you,  my  princess,  I  'd  go  back 
to  America  and  leave  the  way  clear  for  Lotzen." 

She  laughed  softly.  "  No,  no,  Armand,  you 
would  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  A  Dalberg  never  ran 
from  duty — and  least  of  all  the  Dalberg  whom  God 
has  made  in  the  image  of  the  greatest  of  them  all." 

He  glanced  in  the  tall  mirror  across  the  room.  He 
was  wearing  the  dress  uniform  of  the  Red  Huzzars 
(who  had  been  inspected  immediately  before  the 
Foot  Guards;  and  he,  as  titular  Colonel,  had  led 
them  in  the  march  by),  and  there  was  no  denying 
he  made  a  handsome  figure,  in  the  brilliant  tunic 
and  black,  fur-bound  dohlman,  his  Orders  sparkling, 
his  sword  across  his  knees. 

She  put  her  head  close  beside  his  and  smiled  at 
him  in  the  mirror. 

"  Henry  the  Great  was  not  at  all  bad  looking," 
she  said. 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        43 

He  smiled  back  at  her.  "  But  with  a  beastly  bad 
temper,  at  times,  I  'm  told." 

"  I  'm  not  afraid — I  mean  his  wife  was  n't  afraid ; 
tradition  is,  she  managed  him  very  skilfully." 

"  Doubtless,"  he  agreed ;  "  any  clever  woman  can 
manage  a  man  if  she  take  the  trouble  to  try." 

"  And  shall  I  try,  Armand?  " 

"  Try !  "  he  chuckled ;  "  you  could  n't  help  try- 
ing ;  man  taming  is  your  natural  avocation.  By  all 
means,  manage  me — only,  don't  let  me  know  it." 

"  I  '11  not,"  she  laughed—"  the  King  never " 

and  she  straightened  sharply.  "  I  forgot,  dear,  I 
forgot !  "  And  she  got  up  suddenly,  and  went  over 
to  the  window.  Nor  did  he  follow  her;  but  waited 
silently,  knowing  well  it  was  no  time  for  even  him 
to  intrude. 

After  a  while  she  came  slowly  back  to  him,  a 
wistfully  sad  look  in  her  eyes.  And  as  he  met  her 
she  gave  him  both  her  hands. 

"  I  shall  never  be  anything  but  a  thoughtless 
child,  Armand,"  she  said,  with  a  wan,  little  smile. 
"  So  be  kind  to  me,  dear — and  don't  forget." 

He  drew  her  arms  about  his  neck.  "  Let  us 
always  be  children  to  each  other,"  he  answered, 
"  forgetting,  when  together,  everything  but  the  joy 
of  living,  the  pleasures  of  to-day,  the  anticipations 
of  to-morrow." 

She  shook  her  head.  "  A  woman  is  always  a  child 
in  love,"  she  said ;  "  it 's  the  man  who  grows  into 
maturity,  and  sobers  with  age." 


44  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

He  knew  quite  well  she  was  right,  and  for  the 
moment  he  had  no  words  to  answer;  and  she  under- 
stood and  helped  him. 

"  But  this  is  no  time  for  either  of  us  to  be  chil- 
dren," she  went  on ;  "  there  is  work  to  do  and  plans 
to  be  arranged."  She  drew  a  chair  close  to  the  table 
and,  resting  both  arms  upon  it,  looked  up  at  the 
Archduke  expectantly.  "  What  is  first?  " 

He  hesitated. 

"  Come,  dear,"  she  said ;  "  Frederick  was  my 
father  and  my  dearest  friend,  but  there  remains  for 
him  now  only  the  last  sad  offices  the  living  do  the 
dead;  we  will  do  them;  but  we  will  also  do  what  he 
has  decreed.  We  will  seat  you  in  his  place,  and 
confound  Lotzen  and  his  satellites." 

He  took  her  hand  and  gravely  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"  You  are  a  rare  woman,  Dehra,"  he  said,  "  a  rare 
woman.  No  man  can  reach  your  level,  nor  under- 
stand the  beauty  of  your  faith,  the  meaning  of  your 
love.  Yet,  at  least,  will  I  try  to  do  you  honor  and 
to  give  you  truth." 

She  drew  him  down  and  kissed  him  lightly  on  the 
cheek. 

"  You  do  not  know  the  Dalberg  women,  dear," 
she  said — "  to  them  the  King  is  next  to  God — and 
the  line  that  separates  is  very  narrow." 

"  But  I  'm  not  yet  the  King,"  he  protested. 

"  You  've  been  king,  in  fact,  since  the  moment — 
Frederick  died.  With  us,  the  tenet  still  obtains  in 
all  its  ancient  strength ;  the  throne  is  never  vacant." 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        45 

"  So  it 's  Lotzen  or  I,  and  to-morrow  the  Book 
will  decide." 

"  Yes,"  she  agreed ;  "  to-morrow  the  Book  will 
decide  for  the  Nation ;  but  we  know  it  will  be  you." 

"  Not  exactly,"  he  smiled ;  "  we  think  we  know ; 
we  can't  be  sure  until  we  see  the  decree." 

"  I  have  no  doubt,"  she  averred,  "  my  father's 
words  can  bear  but  one  construction." 

"  It  would  seem  so — yet  I  've  long  learned  that, 
in  this  life,  it 's  the  certain  things  that  usually  are 
lost." 

She  sprang  up.  "  Why  not  settle  it  at  once — let 
us  send  for  the  Book;  of  course  it  is  at  the  Palace 
— it  was  there  last  night." 

He  shook  his  head  decisively.  "  No,  dear,  no ; 
believe  me  it  is  not  wise  now  for  either  of  us  to  touch 
the  Book.  It  were  best  that  it  be  opened  only  by  the 
Prime  Minister  in  presence  of  the  Royal  Council. 
We  must  give  Lotzen  no  reason  to  cry  forgery." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  Small  good  would 
it  do  him,  as  against  Frederick's  writing  and  my 
testimony.  However,  we  can  wait — the  Council 
meets  in  the  morning,  I  assume?  " 

"  Yes ;  at  ten  o'clock,  at  the  Palace." 

She  looked  up  quickly.  "  The  key  ?  "  she  asked ; 
"  it  was  always  on  his  watch  chain — have  you  got 
it?  " 

"  No,"  said  he;  "  I  never  thought  of  it." 

She  rang  the  bell  and  sent  for  the  Chamberlain. 

"  Bring   me    King    Frederick's    watch,    and    the 


46  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Orders  he  was  wearing,"  she  said.  When  they  came 
she  handed  the  Orders  to  Armand. 

"  They  are  yours  now,  dear,"  she  said.  She  took 
the  watch  and  held  up  the  chain,  from  the  end  of 
which  hung  the  small,  antique  key  of  the  brass  bound 
box,  in  which  the  Book  of  Laws  had  been  kept  for 
centuries  that  now  reached  back  to  tradition.  She 
contemplated,  for  a  moment,  the  swaying  bit  of  gold 
and  bronze,  then  loosed  it  from  the  ring. 

"  This  also  is  yours,  Sire,"  she  said,  and  proffered 
it  to  him. 

But  he  declined.    "  To-morrow,"  he  said. 

"  And  in  the  meantime?  " 

"  If  Count  Epping  is  still  in  the  Castle,  we  will 
let  him  hold  it." 

The  Princess  nodded  in  approval.  "  Doubtless 
that  is  wiser,"  she  said,  "  though  quite  unprece- 
dented ;  none  but  the  King  ever  holds  that  key,  save 
when  he  rides  to  war." 

"  We  are  dealing  with  a  situation  that  has  no 
precedents,"  he  smiled ;  "  we  must  make  some." 

As  he  went  toward  the  bell,  a  servant  entered  with 
a  card. 

"  Admit  him,"  he  said "  It  is  Ep- 
ping," he  explained. 

The  Prime  Minister  of  Valeria  was  one  of  those 
extraordinary  exceptions  that  occasionally  occur  in 
public  officials;  he  had  no  purpose  in  life  but  to 
serve  his  King.  Without  regard  to  his  own  private 
ends  or  personal  ambition,  he  had  administered  his 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        47 

office  for  a  generation,  and  Frederick  trusted  him 
as  few  monarchs  ever  trusted  a  powerful  subject. 
To  the  Nation,  he  was  honesty  and  justice  incarnate, 
and  only  the  King  and  the  Princess  Royal  excelled 
him  in  popularity  and  respect.  Seventy  years  had 
passed  over  the  tall  and  slender  figure,  leaving  a 
crown  of  silver  above  the  pale,  lean  face,  with  its 
tight-shut  mouth,  high  cheek  bones  and  faded  blue 
eyes;  but  they  had  brought  no  stoop  to  the  shoul- 
ders, nor  feebleness  to  the  step,  nor  dullness  to  the 
brain. 

He  saluted  Armand  with  formal  dignity;  then 
bent  over  Dehra's  hand,  silently  and  long — and 
when  he  rose  a  tear  was  trembling  on  his  lashes.  He 
dashed  it  away  impatiently  and  turned  to  the  Arch- 
duke. 

"  Sire,"  he  said — and  Armand,  in  sheer  surprise, 
made  no  objection — "  I  have  brought  the  proclama- 
tion announcing  His  late  Majesty's  death  and  your 
accession.  It  should  be  published  in  the  morning. 
Will  it  please  you  to  sign  it  now  ?  " 

There  are  moments  in  life  so  sharp  with  emotion 
that  they  cut  into  one's  memory  like  a  sculptor's 
tool,  and,  ever  after,  stand  clear-lined  and  cameoed 
against  the  blurred  background  of  commonplace 
existence.  Such  was  the  moment  at  the  Palace 
when  Frederick  had  handed  him  the  patents  of  an 
Archduke,  and  such  now  was  this.  "Sire!"  the 
word  was  pounding  in  his  brain.  "  Sire !  "  he,  who, 


48  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

less  than  a  year  ago,  was  but  a  Major  in  the  Ameri- 
can Army ;  "  Sire !  "  he — he — King  of  Valeria ! 

Then,  through  the  mirage,  he  saw  Dehra's  smiling 
face,  and  he  awoke  suddenly  to  consciousness  and 
the  need  for  speech,  and  for  immediate  decision. 
Should  he  sign  the  proclamation  on  the  chance  that 
the  decree  was  in  his  favor,  and  that  he  was,  in 
truth,  the  King?  He  hesitated  just  an  instant — 
tempted  by  his  own  desires  and  by  the  eager  eyes  of 
the  fair  woman  before  him ;  then  he  straightened  his 
shoulders  and  chose  the  way  of  prudence. 

He  waved  the  Prime  Minister  to  a  chair. 

"  Your  pardon,  my  lord,"  he  said ;  "  your  form 
of  address  was  so  new  and  unexpected,  it  for  the 
moment  bound  my  tongue." 

The  old  man  bowed.  "  I  think  I  understand, 
Sire,"  he  said,  with  a  smile  that,  for  an  instant, 
softened  amazingly  his  stern  face.  "  Yet,  believe 
me,  one  says  it  to  you  very  naturally  " — and  his 
glance  strayed  deliberately  to  the  wall  opposite, 
where  hung  a  small  copy  of  the  Great  Henry's  por- 
trait in  the  uniform  of  the  Red  Huzzars.  "  It  is 
very  wonderful,"  he  commented ; — "  and  I  fancy  it 
won  you  instant  favor  and,  even  now,  may  be,  makes 
us  willing  to  accept  you  as  our  King.  Sometimes, 
Your  Majesty,  sentiment  dominates  even  a  nation." 

"  Then  I  trust  sentiment  will  be  content  with  the 
physical  resemblance  and  not  examine  the  idol  too 
closely." 

The  Count  smiled  again ;  this  time  rather  coldly. 


TO-MORROW  AND  THE  BOOK        49 

"  The  first  duty  of  a  king  is  to  look  like  one,"  he 
said ;  "  and  sentiment  demands  nothing  else ;  "  and, 
with  placid  insistence,  he  laid  the  proclamation  on 
the  table  beside  Armand. 

The  latter  picked  it  up  and  read  it — and  put  it 
down. 

"  My  lord,"  he  said,  "  I  prefer  not  to  exercise  any 
prerogative  of  kingship  until  the  Royal  Council  has 
examined  the  Book  of  Laws  and  confirmed  my  title 
under  the  decrees." 

The  faded  blue  eyes  looked  at  him  contempla- 
tively. 

"  I  assumed  there  was  no  question  as  to  the 
Succession,"  he  remarked. 

"  Nor  did  I  mean  to  intimate  there  was,"  Armand 
answered. 

"  Then,  with  all  respect,  Sire,  I  see  no  reason  why 
you  should  not  sign  the  proclamation." 

Armand  shook  his  head.  "  May  be  I  am  foolish," 
he  said ;  "  but  I  will  not  assume  the  government 
until  after  the  Council  to-morrow — it  wiU  do  no 
harm  to  delay  the  proclamation  for  a  few  hours. 
And,  in  the  interim,  you  will  oblige  Her  Royal 
Highness  and  me  by  keeping  this  key,  which  she 
removed  from  King  Frederick's  watch  chain,  but  a 
moment  before  you  came." 

The  Count  nodded  and  took  the  key. 

"  I  recognize  it,"  he  replied.     "  I  know  the  lock 
it  opens." 
4 


50  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Good,"  said  Armand ;  "  the  box  is  at  the  Palace, 
and  doubtless  you  also  know  what  it  contains.  For 
reasons  you  may  easily  appreciate,  I  desire  to  avoid 
any  imputation  that  the  Book  has  been  touched 
since  His  Majesty's  demise.  You  will  produce  this 
key  at  the  meeting  to-morrow,  explaining  how  and 
where  you  got  it;  and  then,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Council,  I  shall  open  the  box  and  if,  by  the  Laws  of 
the  Dalbergs,  I  am  Head  of  the  House,  I  will  enter 
into  my  heritage  and  try  to  keep  it." 

The  Prime  Minister  got  up ;  gladness  in  his  heart, 
though  his  face  was  quite  impassive.  He  had  come 
in  doubt  and  misgiving;  he  was  easy  now — here 
was  a  man  who  led,  a  man  to  be  served ;  he  asked  no 
more — he  was  content. 

*'  I  understand,"  he  said ;  "  the  proclamation  can 
wait ; "  then  he  drew  himself  to  his  full  height. 
"  God  save  Your  Majesty !  "  he  ended. 


Ill 

THE     ROYAL     COUNCIL 

COUNT  EPPING  was  the  last  of  the  five  Ministers 
to  arrive  at  the  Council,  the  following  morning.  He 
came  in,  a  few  minutes  before  the  hour,  acknowl- 
edged with  grave  courtesy,  but  brief  words,  the 
greetings  of  the  others,  and  when  his  secretary  had 
put  his  dispatch  box  on  the  table  he  immediately 
opened  it  and  busied  himself  with  his  papers.  It 
was  his  way — and  none  of  them  had  ever  seen  him 
otherwise ;  but  now  there  seemed  to  be  a  special  sig- 
nificance in  his  silence  and  preoccupation. 

The  failure  of  the  Court  Journal  to  appear  that 
morning  had  broken  a  custom  that  ante-dated  the 
memory  of  man,  and  the  information  which  was 
promptly  conveyed  to  the  Ministers  that  it  was  de- 
layed until  evening,  and  by  the  personal  order  of 
the  Prime  Minister,  had  provoked  both  amazement 
and  expectancy.  It  could  mean  only  that  the  paper 
was  being  held  for  something  that  must  be  in  that 
day's  issue,  and  as  they  had  promptly  disclaimed  to 
one  another  all  responsibility,  the  inference  was  not 
difficult  that  it  had  to  do  with  the  new  King's  first 
proclamation. 

"  The  Count  was  at  the  Castle  last  evening," 
Duval,  the  War  Minister,  had  remarked,  "  and  I 

51 


52  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

assumed  it  was  to  submit  the  proclamation  and  have 
it  signed." 

Baron  Retz,  the  Minister  of  Justice,  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  May  be  you  assumed  correctly,"  he  remarked. 

The  others  looked  at  him  with  quick  interest,  but 
got  only  a  smile  and  another  shrug. 

"  Then  why  did  n't  he  sign  it?  "  Duval  demanded. 

The  Baron  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  studied 
the  ceiling.  "  When  you  say  *  he,'  you  mean ?  " 

"  The  King,  of  course,"  the  other  snapped. 
"  Who  the  devil  else  would  I  mean  ?  " 

"And  by  'the  King,'"  drawled  Retz,  "you 
mean ?  " 

There  was  a  sudden  silence — then  General  Duval 
brought  his  fist  down  on  the  table  with  a  bang. 

"  Monsieur  le  Baron,"  he  exclaimed,  "  you  under- 
stand perfectly  whom  /  meant  by  the  King — the 
Archduke  Armand.  If  he  is  not  the  King,  and  you 
know  it,  it  is  your  duty  as  a  member  of  the  Council 
to  disclose  the  fact  to  us  forthwith;  this  is  no  time 
nor  place  to  indulge  in  innuendoes." 

The  Baron's  small  grey  eyes  turned  slowly  and, 
for  a  brief  instant,  "lingered,  with  a  dull  glitter,  on 
the  War  Minister's  face. 

"  My  dear  General,"  he  laughed,  "  you  are  so  pre- 
cipitate. If  you  ever  lead  an  army  you  will  deal 
only  in  frontal  attacks — and  defeats.  I  assure  you 
I  know  nothing ;  but  to  restate  your  own  question :  if 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  53 

the  Archduke  Armand  be  the  King,  why  did  n't  he 
sign  the  proclamation  ?  " 

Steuben,  the  grey-bearded  Minister  of  the  Inte- 
rior, cut  in  with  a  growl. 

"  What  is  the  profit  of  all  these  wonderful  theo- 
ries ?  "  he  demanded,  eyeing  Retz.  "  The  ordinary 
and  reasonable  explanation  is  that  the  proclamation 
is  to  be  submitted  to  us  this  morning." 

"  In  which  event,"  said  the  Baron,  "  we  shall  have 
the  explanation  in  a  very  few  minutes,"  and  re- 
sumed his  study  of  the  ceiling. 

"  And  in  the  meantime,"  remarked  Admiral  Mar- 
quand,  "  I  am  moved  to  inquire,  where  is  the  Duke 
of  Lotzen?" 

Steuben  gave  a  gruff  laugh.  "  Doubtless  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  can  also  offer  a  violent  presump- 
tion on  that  subject." 

"  On  the  contrary,  my  friend,"  said  Retz,  "  it  will 
offer  the  very  natural  presumption  that  the  Duke  of 
Lotzen  is  hastening  to  Dornlitz;  to  the  funeral — 
and  the  coronation." 

"  Whose  coronation  ?  "  Duval  asked  quickly. 

"  My  dear  General,"  said  the  Baron,  "  there  can't 
be  two  Kings  of  Valeria,  and  it  would  seem  that  the 
Army  has  spoken  for  the  Archduke  Armand." 

"  And  the  Department  of  Justice  for  whom?  "  the 
General  exclaimed. 

A  faint  sneer  played  over  Retz's  lips.  "  Monsieur 
le  General  forgets  that  when  the  Army  speaks, 
Justice  is  bound  and  gagged." 


54  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

It  was  at  that  moment  that  Count  Epping  had 
entered. 

When  the  clock  on  the  mantel  chimed  the  hour 
the  Count  sat  down  and  motioned  the  others  to 
attend. 

"Will  not  the  King  be  present?"  Retz  asked 
casually,  as  he  took  his  place. 

The  Prime  Minister  looked  at  him  in  studious 
comprehension. 

"  Patience,  monsieur,  patience,"  he  said  softly, 
"  His  Majesty  will  doubtless  join  us  in  proper  time. 
Have  you  any  business  that  requires  his  personal 
attention  ?  " 

The  Baron  shook  his  head.  "  No — nothing.  I 
was  only  curious  as  to  what  uniform  he  would  wear." 

A  faint  smile  touched  the  Count's  thin  lips. 

"  But  more  particularly  curious  as  to  who  would 
wear  it,"  he  remarked  dryly. 

Retz  swung  around  and  faced  him. 

"  My  lord,"  he  said,  "  I  would  ask  you,  who  is 
King  in  Valeria:  the  Archduke  Armand  or  Ferdi- 
nand of  Lotzen  ?  " 

The  old  Minister's  smile  chilled  to  a  sneer. 

"  That  is  a  most  astonishing  question  from  the 
chief  law  officer  of  the  kingdom,"  he  said. 

"  But  not  so  astonishing  as  that  he  should  be 
compelled  to  ask  it,"  was  the  quick  answer. 

"  Is  there,  then,  monsieur,  any  doubt  in  your  mind 
as  to  the  eldest  male  of  the  House  of  Dalberg?  " 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  55 

"  None  whatever ;  but  can  you  assure  us  that  he 
is  king?  " 

"  What  has  my  assurance  to  do  with  the  matter?  " 
the  Count  asked.  "  By  the  laws  of  the  Dalbergs  the 
Crown  has  always  passed  to  the  eldest  male." 

The  Baron  laughed  quietly.  "  At  last  we  near 
the  point — the  Laws.  There  is  no  doubt  that,  by 
birth,  the  Archduke  Armand  is  the  eldest  male;  yet 
what  of  the  decree  of  the  Great  Henry  as  to  Hugo? 
As  I  remember,  Frederick  explained  enough  of  it  to 
the  Council  to  cover  Armand's  assumption  of  his 
ancestor's  rank  and  estates,  but  said  no  word  as  to 
the  Crown."  He  leaned  forward  and  looked  the  old 
Count  in  the  eyes.  "  And  I  ask  you  now,  my  lord, 
if,  under  the  decree,  Armand  became  the  Heir  Pre- 
sumptive, why  was  it  that,  at  all  our  sessions,  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen,  until  his  banishment,  retained  his 
place  on  the  King's  right,  and  Armand  sat  on  the 
left?  Is  it  not  a  fair  inference,  from  the  actions  of 
the  three  men  who  know  the  exact  words  of  the 
decree,  that,  though  it  restored  Hugo's  heir  to 
archducal  rank,  it  specifically  barred  him  from  the 
Crown?" 

The  Prime  Minister  had  listened  with  an  im- 
passive face  and  now  he  nodded  curtly. 

"  There  might  be  some  weight  to  your  argument, 
Monsieur  le  Baron,"  he  said,  "  if  you  displayed  a 
more  judicial  spirit  in  its  presentation — and  if  you 
did  not  know  otherwise." 

"  I  shall  not  permit  even  you "  Retz  broke  in. 


66  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  Count  silenced  him  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 
"  You  have  sat  at  this  board  with  us,  and  since  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen's  absence,  at  least,  you  have  seen 
our  dead  master  treat  the  Archduke  Armand,  in 
every  way,  as  his  successor;  and  on  one  occasion,  in 
your  hearing  and  to  your  knowledge — for  I  saw  you 
slyly  note  the  exact  words,  on  your  cuff — he  re- 
ferred to  him  as  the  one  who  would  '  come  after.' 
Hence,  I  say,  you  are  not  honest  with  the  Council." 

"  I  felicitate  your  lordship  on  your  powers  of 
observation  and  recollection,"  said  Retz  suavely; 
"  they  are  vastly  more  effective  and  timely  than 
mine,  which,  I  confess,  hesitate  at  miracles.  But 
with  due  modesty,  I  submit  there  is  a  very  simple 
way  to  settle  this  question  quickly  and  finally.  Let 
us  have  the  exact  words  of  Henry's  decree.  I  am 
well  aware  it  is  unprecedented  for  any  but  a  Dalberg 
to  see  the  Dalberg  Laws ;  but  we  are  facing  an  un- 
precedented condition.  Never  before  has  a  Dalberg 
king  failed  to  have  a  son  to  follow  him.  Now,  we 
hearken  back  for  generations,  with  a  mysterious 
juggle  intervening;  and  it  is  for  him  who  claims  the 
Throne  to  prove  his  title.  Before  the  coming  of  the 
American  there  was  no  question  that  Lotzen  was  the 
Heir  Presumptive.  Did  he  lose  the  place  when 
Armand  became  an  Archduke?  The  decree  alone 
can  determine;  let  it  be  submitted  to  the  Royal 
Council  for  inspection." 

"  The  Minister  of  Justice  is  overdoing  his  part," 
said  the  old  Count,  addressing  the  other  Ministers. 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  57 

"  It  is  not  for  him  nor  his  Department  to  dictate  the 
method  by  which  the  Dalbergs  shall  decide  their 
kingship,  nor  does  it  lie  in  the  mouth  of  any  of  us  to 
demand  an  inspection  of  the  Book  of  Laws.  So 
much  for  principle  and  ancient  custom.  It  may  be 
the  pleasure  of  the  Archduke  to  confirm  his  right  by 
exhibiting  to  us  the  Laws ;  or  the  Duke  of  Lotzen 
may  challenge  his  title,  and  so  force  their  submission 
to  us  or  to  the  House  of  Nobles  for  decision.  But, 
as  the  matter  stands  now,  the  Council  has  no  dis- 
cretion. We  must  accept  the  eldest  male  Dalberg  as 
King  of  Valeria ;  and,  as  you  very  well  know  "  (look- 
ing directly  at  Retz  )  "  none  but  a  Dalberg  may  dis- 
pute his  claim — do  you,  Monsieur  le  Baron,  wish  to 
be  understood  as  speaking  for  the  Duke  of  Lotzen?  " 

Retz  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed. 

"  No,  no,  my  lord,  no,  no ! "  he  said.  "  I  speak 
no  more  for  Lotzen  than  you  do  for  Armand." 

"  So  it  would  seem — though  not  with  the  same 
motives,"  the  Count  sneered — then  arose  hastily. 
"  The  King,  my  lords,  the  King ! "  he  exclaimed,  as 
the  door  in  the  far  corner  opened  and  Armand 
entered,  unattended,  and  behind  him  came  a  man- 
servant bearing  a  brass-bound,  black-oak  box,  inlaid 
with  silver. 

Never  had  any  of  the  Council  seen  it,  yet  instantly 
all  surmised  what  it  contained ;  and,  courtiers  though 
they  were,  they  (save  the  old  Count)  stared  at  it  so 
curiously  that  the  Archduke,  with  an  amused  glance 


58  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

at  the  latter,  turned  and  motioned  the  servant  to 
precede  him. 

"  Place  it  before  His  Excellency,  the  Prime  Min- 
ister," he  said;  and  now  the  stares  shifted,  in  un- 
feigned astonishment  to  Armand — while  the  Count's 
thin  lips  twitched  ever  so  slightly,  and,  for  an  in- 
stant, his  faded  blue  eyes  actually  sparkled,  as  they 
lingered  in  calm  derision  on  the  Baron's  face. 

And  Retz,  turning  suddenly,  caught  the  look  and 
straightway  realized  he  had  been  outplayed.  He 
understood,  now,  that  the  Count  had  been  aware,  all 
along,  of  the  Archduke's  purpose  to  produce  the 
Laws  to  the  Council,  this  morning,  and  that  he,  by 
his  very  persistence,  had  given  the  grim  old  diplo- 
mat an  opportunity  to  demonstrate,  in  the  most 
effective  fashion,  the  unprecedented  honor  Armand 
was  now  doing  them.  It  was  irritating  enough  to  be 
out-manceuvered,  but  to  have  his  own  ammunition 
seized  and  used  to  enhance  another's  triumph  was 
searing  to  his  pride ;  and,  in  truth,  this  was  not  the 
first  time  that  the  Prime  Minister  had  left  his  scar 
and  a  score  to  settle  between  them. 

"  Be  seated,  my  lords,"  said  Armand,  "  and 
accept  my  apologies  for  my  tardiness,"  and  he  took 
the  chair  at  the  head  of  the  table. 

Count  Epping  drew  his  sword  and  raised  it  high. 

"  Valeria  hails  the  Head  of  the  House  of  Dalberg 
as  the  King ! "  he  cried. 

And  back  from  the  others,  as  their  blades  rang 
together  above  the  table,  came  the  echo : 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  59 

"  We  hail  the  Dalberg  King !  " 

It  was  the  ancient  formula,  which  had  always  been 
used  to  welcome  the  new  ruler  upon  his  first  entrance 
to  the  Royal  Council. 

And  it  had  come  as  yet  another  scar  to  Retz,  for 
it  put  him  to  the  choice — whether  to  play  the  fool 
now,  or  the  dastard  later — and  that  with  every  eye 
upon  him,  even  the  Archduke's,  whose  glance  had 
instinctively  followed  the  others'.  Yet  he  had  made 
it  instantly,  smiling  mockingly  at  the  Count;  and 
his  voice  rang  loud  and  his  sword  was  the  last  to  fall. 

But  Armand  knew  nothing  of  this  old  ceremony, 
and  the  surprise  of  it  brought  him  sharply  to  his 
feet,  with  his  hand  at  the  salute,  while  his  face  and 
brow  went  ruddy  and  his  fingers  chill.  It  was  for  • 
him  to  speak,  he  knew,  yet  speak  he  could  not.  But 
when  led  by  Count  Epping,  they  crowded  close  about 
him  and  bent  knee  and  would  have  kissed  his  hand,  he 
drew  back  and  waved  them  up. 

"  I  thank  you,  my  lords,  I  thank  you  from  my 
heart,"  he  said  gravely,  "  though  not  yet  will  I 
assume  to  accept  either  the  homage  or  the  greeting. 
They  belong  to  him  who  is  King  of  Valeria,  and 
whether  I  be  he  I  do  not  know.  As  the  eldest  male, 
the  presumption  is  with  me ;  yet  as  the  monarch  haa 
full  power  to  choose  his  successor  from  any  of  the 
Dalbergs,  it  may  have  been  his  pleasure,  under  the 
peculiar  conditions  now  existing,  to  name  another  as 
his  heir.  Hence  it  is  my  purpose  to  submit  to  you 
the  Book  of  Laws,  that  you  may  inspect  the  decrees 


60  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

and  ascertain  to  whom  the  Crown  descends.  I  am 
informed  this  is  a  proceeding  utterly  unknown ;  that 
the  Dalberg  Laws  are  seen  only  by  Dalberg  eyes. 
Yet,  as  I  apprehend  there  will  be  another  claimant, 
who  will  have  a  hearty  following,  and  as,  in  the  end, 
it  is  the  Laws  that  will  decide  between  us,  it  is  best 
they  should  decide  now.  If,  by  them,  I  arn  King  of 
Valeria  I  will  assume  the  Crown  and  its  prerogatives ; 
and  if  I  am  not  King,  then  I  will  do  homage  to  him 
who  is,  and  join  with  you  in  his  service." 

He  paused,  and  instantly  General  Duval  flashed 
up  his  sword. 

"  God  save  Your  Royal  Highness ! "  he  cried. 
"  God  grant  that  you  be  King." 

And  as  the  others  gave  it  back  for  answer,  their 
blades  locked  above  the  Archduke's  head,  the  corri- 
dor door  behind  them  swung  open,  and  Ferdinand 
of  Lotzen  entered  and,  unnoticed,  came  slowly  down 
the  room. 

All  night,  with  a  clear  track  and  a  special  train, 
he  had  been  speeding  to  the  Capital,  anxious  and 
fearful,  for  in  an  inter-regnum  hours  count  as  days 
against  the  absent  claimant  to  a  throne.  But  when, 
at  the  station,  he  learned  from  Baron  Rosen  that 
the  Proclamation  had  not  yet  been  issued  and  the 
Council  had  been  called  for  ten  o'clock,  the  prospect 
brightened,  and  he  hurried  to  the  Palace. 

Yet  there  was  small  encouragement  in  the  scene 
before  him,  though  the  words  of  the  acclaim  and  the 
black  box  on  the  table  puzzled  him.  Why,  with  the 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  61 

Laws  at  their  disposal,  should  there  be  any  doubt 
as  to  who  was  King !  So  he  leaned  upon  a  chair  and 
waited,  a  contemptuous  smile  on  his  lips,  a  storm  of 
hate  and  anger  in  his  heart.  Those  shouts,  those 
swords,  those  ardent  faces  should  all  have  been  his; 
would  all  have  been  his,  but  for  this  foreigner,  this 
American,  this  usurper,  this  thief.  And  his  fingers 
closed  about  his  sword's  hilt  and,  for  the  shadow  of 
an  instant,  he  was  tempted  to  spring  in  and  drive 
the  blade  through  his  rival's  throat.  But  instead  he 
laughed — and  when  at  the  sound  they  whirled 
around,  he  laughed  again,  searching  the  while  every 
face  with  his  crafty  eyes,  and,  save  in  Retz's,  finding 
no  trace  of  confusion  nor  regret. 

"  A  pretty  picture,  messieurs,"  he  jeered,  "  truly, 
a  pretty  picture — pray  don't  let  me  disturb  it; 
though  I  might  inquire,  since  when  has  the  Royal 
Council  of  Valeria  gone  in  for  private  theatricals ! " 

And  Armand  promptly  gave  him  back  his  laugh. 

"  Our  cousin  of  Lotzen  appears  in  good  time,"  he 
said  very  softly.  "  Will  he  not  come  into  the 
picture?  " 

Ferdinand  shook  his  head.  "  In  pictures  of  that 
sort,  there  can  be  but  one  central  figure,"  he 
answered. 

The  Archduke  swung  his  hand  toward  the 
Ministers. 

"  True,  quite  true,"  said  he ;  "  but  there  is  ample 
space  for  Your  Royal  Highness  in  the  back- 
ground." 


62  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Lotzen's  face  went  white,  and  he  measured  Ar- 
niand  with  the  steady  stare  of  implacable  hate, 
though  on  his  lips  the  sneering  smile  still  lingered. 

And  presently  he  answered :  "  I  trust,  monsieur, 
you  will  not  mistake  my  meaning,  when  I  assure  you 
that  there  is  n't  space  enough  in  such  a  picture  to 
contain  us  both." 

"  It  is  a  positive  pleasure,  Monsieur  le  Due,"  re- 
turned Armand  quickly,  "  to  find,  at  last,  one  matter 
in  which  our  minds  can  meet." 

And  so,  for  a  time,  they  stood  at  gaze,  while  the 
others  watched  them,  wondering  and  in  silence. 
Then  the  Archduke  spoke  again: 

"  And  now,  my  dear  cousin,  since  we  understand 
each  other,  I  suggest  we  permit  the  Royal  Council 
to  continue  its  session.  Be  seated,  messieurs ;  "  and 
with  a  nod  to  the  Ministers,  he  resumed  his  place 
at  the  head  of  the  table. 

Instantly  Lotzen  stepped  forward. 

"  My  lords,"  he  cried,  "  as  Heir  Presumptive  I 
claim  the  Throne  of  Valeria.  I  call  upon  you,  in  the 
name  of  the  House  of  Dalberg,  to  acknowledge  me 
and  to  proclaim  my  accession." 

"  Upon  what  does  Your  Royal  Highness  rest  your 
claim  ?  "  Count  Epping  asked  formally. 

The  Duke  pointed  to  the  box ;  he  saw  now  it  was 
shut  tight  and  the  key  not  in  the  lock — and  this, 
with  what  had  occurred  as  he  entered,  undoubtedly 
indicated  either  that  the  Book  had  not  yet  been 
examined  or  that  it  contained  no  decree  fixing  the 


THE  ROYAL  COUNCIL  63 

Succession.  In  either  event,  he  stood  a  chance  to 
win;  and,  at  least,  he  had  need  for  time. 

"  Upon  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs,"  he  replied, 
raising  his  hand  in  salute ;  "  and  under  which,  as 
you  all  well  know,  I  have  been  the  Heir  Presump- 
tive since  my  father's  death." 

"  And  you  will  accept  them  as  final  arbiter  be- 
tween us?  "  asked  Armand  quickly. 

Ferdinand  turned  and  looked  at  him  fixedly. 

"  For  the  Crown,  yes,"  he  said  very  softly ;  and 
not  a  man  but  understood  the  limitation  and  the 
challenge. 

And  the  Archduke  smiled,  and  answered  in  a  voice 
even  softer  and  more  suave. 

"  So  be  it — I  will  chance  the  rest."  Then  he 
addressed  the  Council.  "  His  Excellency,  the  Prime 
Minister,  has  the  key  to  the  box;  with  your  permis- 
sion I  will  ask  him  to  explain  when  and  under  what 
circumstances  he  got  it." 

And  the  Count  took  care  that  Armand  should  lose 
nothing  in  the  telling,  and  when  he  had  finished,  he 
drew  out  the  queer  little  key,  and  holding  it  so 
all  could  see  looked  at  the  two  Dalbergs  inquiringly. 

"Shall  I  unlock  the  box?"  he  asked;  and  both 
nodded. 

But  the  key  would  enter  only  a  little  way;  and 
while  the  Count  worked  with  it,  Armand  remembered 
suddenly  the  unusual  motion  Frederick  had  used  the 
day  he  showed  him  the  Laws. 


64  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Turn  the  bit  sidewise  and  push  down  and  in," 
he  said.  And  at  once  the  key  slipped  into  place  and 
the  lock  snapped  open. 

At  the  sound,  the  Ministers  eagerly  craned  for- 
ward ;  but  the  Count  did  not  offer  to  lift  the  lid  until 
he  received  the  Archduke's  nod;  then  he  slowly  laid 
it  back,  and  leaning  over  peered  inside.  And  he 
peered  so  long,  that  Lotzen  grew  impatient. 

"  The  Laws,  Epping,  the  Laws,"  he  said  sharply ; 
"  let  us  have  them,  man." 

The  Count  looked  at  him  and  then  at  Armand. 

"  The  box  is  empty,"  he  said. 


IV 

THE    PRESUMPTION    SHIFTS 

INTO  the  silence  of  amazement  that  ensued,  came 
the  Duke's  sneering  laugh. 

"  Surely,  surely,  you  did  n't  think  to  find  it 
otherwise !  "  he  said. 

His  insinuation  was  so  apparent  that  the  Arch- 
duke turned  upon  him  instantly. 

"  Don't  be  a  coward,  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen,"  he 
said.  "  Speak  plainly ;  do  you  mean  to  charge  me 
with  having  removed  the  Book  from  the  box?  " 

The  Duke  bowed.  "  Just  that,  Your  Royal  High- 
ness," he  said;  "  just  that,  since  you  must  have  it — • 
you  Americans  are  so  blunt  of  speech." 

Armand  leaned  forward.  "  The  only  way  to  deal 
with  a  liar,"  he  answered,  "  is  to  put  him  where  he 
can't  lie  out." 

Ferdinand  shrugged  his  shoulders  deprecatingly. 
"  You  play  it  very  cleverly,  cousin  mine,  but  the 
logic  of  elimination  is  against  you.  I  assume  you 
will  not  accuse  our  dear  dead  master  of  having  hid 
the  Laws ;  and  since  his  decease,  the  key,  you  admit, 
has  been  with  only  you  and  His  Excellency,  the 
Prime  Minister.  I  assume  also  you  will  acquit 
Count  Epping — I  am  quite  sure  I  will — and  so 
we  come  back  to — you." 

The  Archduke  had  long  ago  learned  that  in  an 
5  65 


66  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

encounter  with  Lotzen  it  was  the  smiling  face  that 
served  him  best;  so  he  controlled  his  anger  and 
turned  to  the  Ministers. 

"  His  Highness  overlooks  the  logic  of  oppor- 
tunity," he  said.  "  I  was  not  in  the  Summer  Palace, 
since  the  King's  death,  until  this  morning." 

Ferdinand  laughed  again.  "  Naturally  not ; 
you  're  not  such  a  bungler." 

Baron  Steuben,  who  had  been  pulling  thought- 
fully at  his  beard,  eyeing  first  one  and  then  another, 
here  broke  in,  addressing  Armand. 

"  Would  Your  Highness  care  to  tell  us  when  you 
last  saw  the  Book  of  Laws?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  shall  gladly  answer  any  question  the  Council 
may  ask.  The  only  time  I  ever  saw  either  Book  or 
box  was  the  day  the  King  offered  me  my  inheritance 
as  the  heir  of  Hugo." 

And  once  again  came  Lotzen's  sneering  inter- 
ruption. 

"  And  yet  you  could  instruct  Count  Epping  just 
how  to  manipulate  the  key : — '  turn  the  bit  sidewise 
and  push  down  and  in.' ' 

Retz  half  closed  his  eyes  and  smiled;  Epping's 
lips  grew  tighter;  Duval  and  Marquand  frowned; 
Steuben,  with  a  last  fierce  tug  at  his  beard,  relapsed 
into  silence. 

But  Armand  met  the  issue  squarely. 

"  It  is  my  word  against  your  inference,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  quite  content  to  let  the  Council  choose.  They, 
too,  have  seen  that  key  used  but  once,  and  yet  I 


THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS          67 

venture  that  a  year  hence  they  also  will  remember 
the  peculiar  motion  it  requires." 

"  They  are  much  more  likely  to  remember  your 
ready  wit  and  clever  tongue,"  Lotzen  retorted. 

The  Archduke  turned  from  him  to  the  Council. 

"  My  lords,"  he  said,  "  there  is  small  profit  to  you 
in  these  personal  recriminations.  The  question  is, 
who  is  King  of  Valeria,  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  or 
myself — and  as  only  the  Book  of  Laws  can  answer, 
I  ask  that  you,  yourselves,  search  King  Frederick's 
apartments  and  interrogate  his  particular  attend- 
ants." 

Count  Epping  arose.  "  Will  the  Minister  of 
Justice  aid  in  the  search,"  he  said — "  and  also  Your 
Royal  Highness  ?  "  addressing  Lotzen. 

The  latter  smiled.  "  No ;  I  thank  you — what  is 
the  good  in  searching  for  something  that  is  n't 
there !  " — then  he  turned  upon  Armand.  "  I  assume 
you  brought  the  box  here,"  pointing  to  the  table, 
"  and  that  you  found  it  in  the  vault,  where  it  is 
always  kept — may  I  inquire  how  you  got  into  the 
vault?" 

"  Through  the  door,"  said  the  Archduke  dryly. 

"  Then  you  know  the  combination — something 
the  King  never  told  even  me.  Observe,  my  lords,  the 
logic  of  opportunity !  " 

But  Armand  shook  his  head.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  I 
do  not  know  the  combination." 

And  Lotzen,  seeing  suddenly  the  pit  that  yawned 


68  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

for  him  if  he  pursued  farther,  simply  smiled  incred- 
ulously and  turned  away. 

The  old  Count,  however,  saw  it  too,  and  had  no 
mind  to  let  the  opportunity  slip. 

"  Who  opened  the  door?  "  he  asked  bluntly. 

"  Her  Royal  Highness  the  Princess,"  said  the 
Archduke. 

And  Epping  nodded  in  undisguised  satisfaction ; 
while  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen,  sauntering  nonchalantly 
over  to  the  nearest  window,  cursed  him  under  his 
breath  for  a  meddler  and  a  fool. 

As  the  Duke  had  predicted,  the  search  of  the 
King's  apartments  and  the  vault  proved  barren ;  and 
then,  his  particular  servants  and  such  attendants  as 
were  in  the  Palace  were  summoned  and  examined, 
and  also  without  result ;  indeed  none  of  them  remem- 
bered having  seen  either  box  or  Book — save  one: 
Adolph,  Frederick's  valet.  He  said  that,  recently, 
his  master  had  spent  many  hours  in  the  evenings 
studying  the  Laws,  going  through  them  with  great 
care,  making  notations  and  marking  certain  pages 
with  slips  of  paper;  that  no  one  else  was  ever 
present  at  such  times,  and  once,  when  he  had  un- 
thinkingly approached  the  desk,  the  King  had 
angrily  bade  him  leave  the  room.  Asked  when  he 
had  last  seen  the  Book,  he  answered  the  fourth 
day  before  His  Majesty's  demise;  which,  he  added, 
he  felt  sure  was  also  the  last  time  it  had  been  used ; 
but  admitting,  frankly,  when  pressed  by  the  Arch- 


THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS          69 

duke,  that  his  only  reason  for  so  thinking  was  that 
he  had  not  seen  it  in  that  interval. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,  my  dear  cousin,"  said  Lotzen 
from  the  window,  the  instant  the  valet  had  gone,  "  I 
am  altogether  willing  to  admit,  and  for  the  Council 
to  assume,  that  the  Book  was  safely  in  the  box  and 
the  box  safely  in  the  vault  when  Frederick  died. 
Don't  try  to  obscure  the  point  at  issue — what  we 
want  to  know  is  what  you  have — I  beg  your  pardon 
— what  has  happened  to  it  since  that  time." 

Armand  waited  with  polite  condescension  until  the 
Duke  had  finished,  then  he  ignored  him  and  ad- 
dressed the  Council. 

"  My  lords,"  he  said,  "  you  are  confronted  by  a 
most  unpleasant  duty:  Valeria  must  have  a  King, 
and  you  must  choose  him,  either  Ferdinand  of 
Lotzen  or  myself.  We  cannot  wait  until  the  Laws 
are  found.  I  claim  the  throne  by  presumptive  right ; 
he,  by  a  right  admitted  to  be  subordinate  to  mine. 
In  the  absence  of  the  decrees  my  title  is  paramount, 
and  the  royal  dignity  falls  on  me.  If  the  Laws  be 
recovered,  and  under  them  I  am  not  King,  I  will 
abdicate,  instantly." 

Lotzen  had  come  back  to  the  table  and  resumed 
his  favorite  attitude  of  leaning  over  the  back  of  a 
chair. 

"  Charming,  indeed,  charming ! "  he  chuckled. 
"  Make  me  King,  and  if  the  Laws  unmake  me  I  will 
abdicate  when  they  are  recovered — when — they — are 


70  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

— recovered!  Do  you  fancy,  messieurs,  they  would 
ever  be  recovered?  " 

Count  Epping  saved  the  Archduke  the  necessity 
of  answer. 

"  Your  Highness'  argument,"  he  observed,  "  is 
predicated  on  the  hypothesis  that  the  Archduke 
Armand  has  possession  of  the  Book  of  Laws  and  is 
concealing  it  because  it  would,  if  exhibited,  prove 
him  ineligible  to  the  Throne." 

"  Admirably  stated !  "  said  Lotzen. 

"  But,"  Epping  went  on,  "  you  cannot  expect  the 
Council  to  accept  any  such  hypothesis  " — and  all 
the  Ministers  nodded — "  we  must  assume  that  neither 
you  nor  the  Archduke  knows  aught  of  the  Book,  and 
whatever  action  we  do  take  must  be  upon  the  distinct 
condition,  agreed  to,  here  and  now,  by  you  both,  that 
when  the  Laws  are  found — as  found  they  surely  will 
be — the  Succession  shall  be  determined  instantly  by 
them.  Are  you  willing," — addressing  Lotzen — 
"  that  the  Council,  of  which  you  are  one,  shall  set- 
tle it,  pending  the  recovery  of  the  Laws  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  said  the  Duke  abruptly ;  "  but 
pending  election  by  the  House  of  Nobles,  I  am  con- 
tent." 

The  Prime  Minister  watched  the  Duke  medita- 
tively for  a  moment,  then  turned  to  the  Archduke 
inquiringly. 

'*  I  am  content,  even  as  His  Highness  of  Lotzen," 
said  Armand;  he  saw  where  the  play  was  leading, 
and  the  other's  next  move,  and  he  was  not  minded 


THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS          71 

to  balk  him;  there  was  likely  to  be  a  surprise  at 
the  end. 

The  Count  faced  the  Council. 

"  The  matter  is  before  you,"  he  said.  "  Having 
in  view  the  Laws  and  circumstances,  as  we  know 
them,  to  whom  shall  we  confide  the  government?  " 
and  with  a  bland  smile,  he  looked  at  the  Minister  of 
Justice — who,  as  the  junior  member,  would  have  to 
vote  first. 

Retz  stirred  uneasily  and  glanced  furtively  at 
Lotzen.  He  was  not  inclined  to  go  so  rapidly,  or, 
at  least,  so  openly.  Had  he  apprehended  any  such 
proceeding  he  would  have  remained  at  home,  ill,  and 
let  his  dear  colleagues  bear  the  unpleasant  burdens. 
It  was  an  appalling  dilemma.  He  wanted  to  vote 
for  Lotzen — yet  he  was  sure  that  Armand  would  be 
chosen.  If  he  voted  for  Armand,  he  would  bear  the 
Duke's  everlasting  enmity,  and,  in  the  end,  the  Laws 
or  the  Nobles  might  give  him  the  Crown.  If  he 
voted  for  Lotzen,  and  Armand  were  chosen,  he  lifted 
himself  out  of  the  Council,  and  ended  his  career  if 
eventually  the  American  won.  He  ran  his  eye 
around  the  table  and  caught  the  smile  on  every  face, 
and  mentally  he  consigned  them  all  to  death  and 
perdition.  Then  he  heard  Epping's  voice  again: 

"  We  are  waiting,  Monsieur  le  Baron." 

But  Lotzen  came  to  his  relief — quite  uninten- 
tionally ;  he  alone  had  not  noted  Retz's  embarrass- 
ment, having  been  reading  a  paper  he  had  taken 
from  his  pocket-book. 


72  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  One  moment,  if  you  please,"  he  said.  "  I  take 
it,  that  what  may  give  the  Archduke  Armand  pref- 
erence over  me  in  his  claim  for  the  Crown,  is  the 
presumptive  right  of  the  eldest  male.  If,  however, 
by  the  Laws,  he  is  specifically  deprived  of  that  right 
and  made  ineligible  to  the  Crown,  save  under  two 
conditions,  I  assume  the  presumption  would  be  re- 
versed, and  he  would  be  disqualified  for  the  Success- 
sion  until  he  had  proved,  by  the  Laws  themselves, 
his  rehabilitation  ?  " 

The  words  were  addressed  to  Epping,  and  the 
answer  was  prompt  and  to  the  point: 

"  Your  proposition  begs  the  situation,"  he  said ; 
"  it  needs  the  Laws  to  prove  it." 

The  Duke  laughed.  "No,  it  doesn't.  I  will 
prove  it  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Archduke  Armand 
himself."  He  held  up  the  paper.  "  Here  is  a  copy 
of  the  Great  Henry's  decree  reinstating  Hugo.  I 
made  it  months  ago,  being,  it  would  seem,  wiser 
than  I  knew.  With  the  first  portion  the  Council  is 
already  familiar,  Frederick  having  quoted  it  to  you 
the  day  the  Archduke  Armand  was  presented;  but 
of  the  last  sentence,  unfortunately,  he  made  no  men- 
tion ;  and  it  is  that  which  governs  now.  His  Royal 
Highness  is  fully  acquainted  with  the  original,  and 
if  my  copy  is  not  accurate  he  can  make  denial — 
nay,  further,  if  he  deny,  I  will  accept  whatever  cor- 
rection he  may  offer Surely,  cousin, 

that  is  fair  and  honest — shall  I  read  it — or  will 
you?  " 


THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS          73 

Armand  smiled  indifferently.  "  You  can  do  it 
with  much  better  effect,"  he  answered. 

"  Will  you  have  all  of  it  or  only  the  last  sen- 
tence? " 

"  All  of  it." 

Lotzen  smiled  maliciously.  "  The  sweet  as  well  as 
the  bitter,  cousin  mine,  with  the  bitter  at  the  end." 
Then  he  tossed  the  paper  across  to  Epping.  "  Will 
Your  Excellency  read  it  ?  "  he  said. 

With  a  glance  at  the  Archduke  for  permission,  the 
Count  complied  : 

" '  Section  one  hundred  twenty-fifth — Whereas, 
we  have  learned  that  our  second  son,  Hugo,  hath 
served  with  much  honour  in  the  American  Army 
under  General  Washington,  and  hath,  since  the  ter- 
mination of  hostilities,  married  into  a  good  family  in 
one  of  the  said  American  States,  called  Maryland, 
and  hath  assumed  residence  therein;  and  whereas 
he  hath  never  sought  aid  from  us  nor  sued  for 
pardon;  Now,  therefore,  in  recognition  of  his  valour 
and  self  reliance  and  true  Dalberg  independence,  it 
is  decreed,  that  Section  one  hundred  twenty-one, 
supra,  be  annulled;  and  Hugo's  name  is  hereby 
reinstated  on  the  Family  Roll  in  its  proper  place, 
the  same  as  though  never  stricken  therefrom.  And 
it  is  further  decreed  that  the  marriage  of  Hugo 
and  the  marriage  of  his  descendants  shall  be  deemed 
lawful,  the  same  as  though  their  respective  consorts 
were  of  the  Blood  Royal.  The  titles  conferred  upon 
Hugo  shall,  however,  remain  in  abeyance  until 
claimed  anew  by  him  or  by  his  right  heir  male ' " 

"  And  now,  my  lords,  attend,"  Lotzen  cut  in. 
"  Your  pardon,  Monsieur  le  Comte,  pray  proceed," 


74  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  old  man  paused  a  moment  in  rebuke,  then 
resumed : 

" '  Nor  shall  the  latter  be  eligible  to  the  Crown 
unless  hereinafter  specifically  decreed  so  to  be — or 
in  event  of  a  vacancy  in  the  royal  dignity  without 
such  decree  having  been  so  made,  then,  by  special 
Act  of  the  House  of  Nobles. 

"  Henry  III.,  Rex. 
"  Ye  17th  of  September,  A.D.  1785." 

The  Prime  Minister  slowly  put  down  the  paper, 
and  every  one  looked  at  the  Archduke — what  would 
be  his  answer  ?  There  was  no  doubt  that  Lotzen  had 
scored  heavily,  so  heavily,  indeed,  that  Retz  made  no 
effort  to  restrain  his  smile. 

"  Does  His  Royal  Highness  deny  the  correctness 
of  the  copy  and  that  the  decree  is  as  read?  "  the 
Duke  asked. 

"  I  have  never  seen  the  decree,"  said  Armand, 
"and  my — pray  have  the  courtesy,  sir,"  (as  Lotzen 
laughed  and  shrugged  his  shoulders )  "  to  wait  until 
I  've  finished — and  my  only  knowledge  of  it  is  from 
hearing  it  read  by  the  King,  the  day  he  offered  me 
my  inheritance;  but  if  my  recollection  be  accurate, 
the  decree  is  as  you  have  it." 

In  a  flash  the  situation  had  become  reversed,  and 
it  was  now  Armand  against  whom  the  presumption 
ran;  and  it  was  he,  and  not  Ferdinand,  who  re- 
quired the  Laws  to  prove  his  claim. 

A  heavy  silence  followed.  Then  into  the  stillness 
cut  the  Duke's  taunting  laugh. 


THE  PRESUMPTION  SHIFTS          75 

"  Exit  the  American,"  he  sneered.  "  Vale  the 
foreign  pretender." 

It  was,  he  knew,  into  Armand's  most  vulnerable 
spot  and,  like  the  coup  de  grace,  he  had  saved  it 
until  last;  yet,  to  his  astonishment,  it  brought  only 
a  contemptuous  smile  and  an  ignoring  stare. 

"  His  Grace  of  Lotzen  seems  to  have  discovered  a 
mare's  nest,"  said  Armand.  "  The  decree  that  is 
required  to  make  me  eligible  to  the  Crown  and  to 
restore  me  to  my  proper  place  in  the  Line  of  Suc- 
cession was  executed  by  Frederick  the  Fourth  the 
night  before  he  died." 

And  once  again  came  Lotzen's  taunting  laugh. 

"  The  night  after  he  died,  you  mean,  cousin,"  he 
exclaimed. 

The  Prime  Minister  turned  upon  him  with  a 
frown. 

"  Your  Royal  Highness  will  permit  me  to  sug- 
gest," said  he,  "  the  propriety,  under  the  circum- 
stances, of  neither  you  nor  the  Archduke  address- 
ing each  other." 

And  Lotzen,  discerning  that  the  Council  was  of 
the  same  mind,  nodded  easily. 

"  I  cry  pardon,"  he  replied.  "  Your  Excellency 
is  quite  right — but  you  will  understand,  I  deny  the 
existence  of  this  suspiciously  timely  decree.  As  to 
it,  at  least,  there  is  no  presumption  of  execution — 
the  Laws  alone  can  prove  it." 

The  Count  turned  to  the  Archduke.  "  Your 
Highness  has  seen  the  decree  ?  "  he  asked. 


76  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  I  have  not." 

"  Did  the  King  tell  you  it  was  executed  ?  " 

"  He  did  not— but  he  told  another." 

"And  that  other ?•" 

"  Is  the  Princess  Royal,"  said  the  Archduke. 

The  Count  paused  a  moment  to  give  the  situation 
emphasis — and  Lotzen,  chagrin  and  anger  consum- 
ing him,  yet  smiling  and  unabashed,  drew  out  a 
cigarette  and  carefully  lit  it. 

"  Do  you  think  Her  Highness  would  honor  the 
Council  with  the  facts  ?  "  Epping  asked. 

"  I  will  acquaint  her  with  your  desires,"  said 
Armand. 


THE  Princess'  suite  was  across  the  corridor  from 
the  King's,  and  in  a  moment  the  Archduke  was 
with  her. 

"  Your  Majesty !  "  she  cried,  and  curtsied. 

He  raised  her  quickly.  "  Not  yet,  sweetheart,"  he 
said,  "  not  yet — and,  may  be,  never." 

She  stepped  back  and  regarded  him  in  puzzled 
surprise. 

"  You  are  jesting,  dear,"  she  said;  "  surely,  you 
are  jesting! " 

He  shook  his  head  and  went  toward  her. 

"  But  the  decree — the  decree !  "  she  exclaimed, 
again  stepping  back. 

"  The  Laws  have  disappeared,"  he  said,  "  the  box 
is  empty  and  the  Book  cannot  be  found." 

In  bewildered  amazement  she  let  him  lead  her  to  a 
chair,  and  listened,  frowning  and  impatient,  to  his 
story.  Only  once  did  she  interrupt — when  he  men- 
tioned the  Duke's  unexpected  entrance — then  she 
struck  her  hand  sharply  on  the  table  at  her  side. 
"  Lotzen !  Oh,  Lotzen !  "  she  cried,  and  with  such 
threatening  vehemence  that  Armand  looked  at  her 
in  sudden  wonder. 

At  the  end,  she  sprang  up. 

"  Come !  "  she  commanded.  "  Come ;  take  me  to 

77 


78  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  Council — I  can  at  least  assure  they  won't  make 
Lotzen  king,"  and  seizing  his  hand  she  made  for  the 
door. 

He  slipped  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  de- 
tained her. 

"  Are  you  sure,  Dehra,  you  ought  to  mix  in  this 
unfortunate  squabble  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Is  it " 

She  turned  upon  him  sharply.  "  Squabble !  Do 
you  call  a  contest  for  Valeria's  Throne  a  squabble?  " 
— then  suddenly  she  smiled — that  sweet,  adorable 
smile  she  ever  had  for  him.  "  Be  very  careful,  sir, 
or  I  shall  tumble  both  you  and  Lotzen  aside,  and 

take  the  Throne  myself Now,  will  you 

escort  me ! " 

He  looked  at  her  thoughtfully,  then  smiled  and 
patted  her  cheek. 

"Come,  Your  Majesty,"  he  said;  "come,  and 
claim  your  Crown ;  it 's  yours  by  right,  and  I  shall 
be  the  first  to  swear  allegiance." 

"  And  the  first  to  rebel,  dear,"  she  laughed. 

They  entered  the  council  chamber  through  the 
King's  cabinet,  and  as  the  Princess  halted  a  moment 
in  the  doorway  the  Ministers  sprang  to  their  feet 
and  stood  waiting,  while  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  ad- 
vanced and  bowed  low;  not  offering,  however,  to 
take  her  hand,  fearing  it  would  not  be  given,  and 
having  no  notion  to  risk  a  snub  in  such  company. 

To  his  astonishment,  Dehra  extended  her  hand 
and  let  him  kiss  it. 


THE  COMPROMISE  79 

"  You  come  on  a  sad  errand,  cousin,"  she  said. 
"  I  would  you  were  still  in  Lotzenia." 
The  words  were  so  innocently  fitting,  yet  the  double 
meaning  was  so  deliberate. 

The  Duke  slowly  straightened,  discomfiture  and 
amusement  struggling  for  control,  while  Armand 
smiled  openly  and  the  Ministers  looked  away. 

Meanwhile,  the  Princess  passed  on  serenely  to 
the  table  and  took  the  chair  at  its  head.  Then, 
led  by  Count  Epping,  the  Council  came  forward 
and  made  obeisance.  She  received  them  with  just 
that  touch  of  dignified  sadness  which  the  circum- 
stances demanded,  and  which,  with  men,  a  woman 
must  measure  with  the  exactness  of  fine  gold.  And 
with  it  there  was  the  low,  sweet  voice,  the  winning 
graciousness,  and  the  dazzling  smile — now  soft- 
ened just  a  trifle — that  never  yet  had  failed  to 
conquer,  and  that  had  made  her  the  toast  of  the 
Army  and  the  pride  of  the  Nation.  And  Armand 
had  watched  her,  with  glistening  eyes,  as  one  after 
another  she  sent  the  Ministers  back  to  their  places, 
bound  to  her  chariot  wheels;  captive  and  content. 

And  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen,  seeing,  understood; 
and  for  the  first  time  he  realized  fully  what  her  aid 
meant  to  his  rival,  and  how  little  chance  he  had  to 
win,  save  with  the  Laws.  And  straightway  the  last 
faint  scruple  perished,  and  he  set  his  cold  heart 
against  her,  as  well.  Henceforth,  for  him,  there  was 
but  one  object  in  life — the  Crown  of  his  ancestors, 


80  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

and  for  all  who  interfered  there  would  be  neither 
consideration  nor  mercy. 

And  the  Princess'  eye,  resting  for  an  instant  on 
his  face,  read  something  of  his  mind,  and  with  a  lift 
of  the  chin  and  a  careless  smile  she  turned  to  the 
Council. 

"  My  lords,"  she  said,  "  His  Royal  Highness  has 
acquainted  me  with  your  desires,  and  I  am  glad  in- 
deed if  I  can  serve  you.  His  Majesty,  the  night 
before  he  died,  executed  the  decree  necessary  to  make 
the  Archduke  Armand  his  successor." 

"  You  saw  the  decree  ?  "  Count  Epping  asked. 

"  No,  I  did  not,  but  what  I  know  is  this.  Late 
that  night  I  went  into  the  King's  library;  he  was 
sitting  at  his  desk,  with  the  Book  of  Laws  open 
before  him  and  a  pen  in  his  hand.  He  was  blotting 
a  page  as  I  entered.  '  You  have  made  Armand's 
decree  ?  '  I  cried,  and  went  to  his  side  to  read  it ; 
but  he  laughed  and  closed  the  Book,  saying :  '  You 
may  see  it  to-morrow,  child,  after  I  have  told 
Armand.' ' 

"  And  he  did  not  tell  you  the  words  of  the  decree," 
the  Count  asked,  after  a  pause,  "  neither  then  nor 
the  following  day  ?  " 

The  Princess  closed  her  eyes  and  lowered  her  head. 

"  No,"  she  said ;  "  no — I  never  saw  my  father 
again — alive." 

There  was  a  distressing  silence — then  Armand 
spoke : 

"  The  Council  will  understand  that  His  Majesty 


THE  COMPROMISE  81 

had  no  opportunity  to  tell  me  of  the  decree.  I  was 
with  him  yesterday  only  at  the  review;  naturally 
he  would  not  speak  of  it  then." 

"  And  that  was,  I  suppose,  the  last  time  you  saw 
the  Book  of  Laws  ?  "  Epping  asked,  addressing  the 
Princess,  who  had  recovered  her  composure. 

"  Yes — it  was  lying  on  the  table  when  I  left." 

"  May  I  ask  Your  Highness,"  said  Steuben, 
"  why,  when  you  saw  that  His  Majesty  had  been 
writing  in  the  Book  of  Laws,  you  assumed,  instantly, 
that  it  was  '  Armand's  decree,'  as  you  put  it  ?  " 

"  You  must  know,  my  lords,"  she  responded, 
"  that  it  is  rare,  indeed,  that  a  new  law  is  made  for 
the  Dalbergs,  there  have  been  but  five  in  the  last 
hundred  years,  and  the  making  is  ever  due  to  some 
extraordinary  circumstance,  which  is  known,  of 
course,  to  all  the  family.  We  had  been  anticipat- 
ing the  decree,  restoring  Armand  to  his  rightful 
place  in  the  Line  of  Succession  as  Hugo's  heir,  and 
hence  it  was  very  natural  to  assume  it  was  that 
which  His  Majesty  had  written."  She  paused,  and, 
for  an  instant,  her  glance  strayed  to  the  Duke  of 
Lotzen.  "  But  it  was  particularly  natural,"  she 
went  on,  "  inasmuch  as  the  King  had  mentioned 
the  matter  to  me  twice  within  the  week,  the  last 
time  that  very  morning,  and  referring  to  it  as 
'  Armand's  decree.' ' 

Steuben  nodded.  "  I  am  satisfied,"  he  said — and 
Duval  and  Marquand  nodded. 

The  Prime  Minister  turned  to  Ferdinand. 
6 


82  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  We  would  be  glad  to  hear  Your  Royal  High- 
ness," he  said. 

The  Duke  laughed  softly  in  sneering  amusement. 
He  was  still  standing  behind  his  chair,  and  now  he 
tilted  it  forward  and  leaned  across  it,  his  arms  folded 
on  the  rail. 

"  Small  chance  have  I  against  such  a  Portia,"  he 
answered.  "  Yet  I  would  remind  the  Council  that, 
where  kingdoms  are  concerned,  a  pretty  woman  is  a 
dangerous  advocate  to  follow — and  thrice  dangerous 
when  against  her  is  the  written  Law  and  with  her 
only — con  j  ecture." 

"  Our  cousin  of  Lotzen  does  not  mean  to  question 
my  veracity?  "  the  Princess  asked  quickly. 

"Your  veracity? — never,  I  assure  you — only 
your  inferences." 

"  And  yet,  sir,  what  other  inferences  can  be 
drawn  ?  " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  turned  to  the  Prime 
Minister. 

"  I  reiterate  my  claim  to  the  Crown,"  he  said ; 
"  and  the  only  Law  of  the  Dalbergs  that  is  before 
you  confirms  it.  I  cannot  conceive  that  the  Royal 
Council  of  Valeria  will  arrogate  to  itself  the  right  to 
annul  a  decree  of  Henry  the  Third." 

"  His  Highness  of  Lotzen  misses  the  point,"  said 
Armand.  "  I  do  not  ask  the  Council  to  annul  that 
decree,  but  only  to  assume  from  Her  Royal  High- 
ness' story  that  it  was  duly  and  legally  annulled  by 
Frederick  the  Fourth." 


THE  COMPROMISE  83 

"  Exactly,  my  lords,  exactly,"  the  Duke  retorted ; 
"  inference  against  fact — guesses  against  an  ad- 
mitted Law." 

Then  Armand  made  the  play  he  had  had  in  mind 
since  it  was  certain  that  the  Book  of  Laws  was  lost. 
He  was  standing  behind  the  Princess'  chair — now 
he  stepped  forward  and  addressed  the  Duke. 

"  Cousin,"  he  said,  "  we  are  putting  a  grievous 
burden  on  the  Ministers  in  obliging  them  to  choose 
between  us,  with  the  proofs  seemingly  so  strong 
on  either  side.  It  is  not  fair  to  them  to  drive 
them  to  the  embarrassment  nor  to  the  misfor- 
tune that  would  attend  a  mistake.  There  ought  to 
be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  Nation  as  to  the  title 
of  the  king;  he  who  occupies  the  Throne  should 
have  his  tenure  unquestioned;  and  such  cannot  be 
if  the  one  of  us  who  is  to-day  made  king  is  liable  to 
be  displaced  to-morrow  by  the  other.  Besides,  as  I 
understand  Henry  the  Third's  decree,  the  Council 
has  no  jurisdiction  except  by  our  agreement.  You 
assert  the  decree  of  eligibility  was  not  made  by  Fred- 
erick. If  that  be  true,  then,  there  being  '  a  vacancy 
in  the  royal  dignity  without  such  decree  being  made,' 
it  is  for  the  House  of  Nobles  to  enact  my  eligibility 
and  so  give  me  the  Crown,  or  to  refuse  and  so  give 
it  to  you.  Therefore,  I  propose  that  for  the  space 
of  a  year,  or  pending  the  recovery  meanwhile  of  the 
Book  of  Laws,  we  let  the  question  of  succession  re- 
main in  abeyance.  If,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  the 
Book  has  not  been  found,  then  the  House  of  Nobles 


84  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

shall  choose  between  us.  And  as  in  the  interval  there 
must  be  some  one  in  supreme  authority,  let  Her 
Royal  Highness  be  proclaimed  Regent  of  Valeria." 

Never  before  had  there  been  such  instant,  open 
and  cordial  unanimity  among  the  Ministers  of  the 
Royal  Council.  Here  was  a  complete  solution  of  the 
vexing  problem,  and  one,  moreover,  that  would  re- 
lieve them  of  a  most  undesirable  duty.  Baron 
Retz's  smile  was  positively  gleeful,  and  the  others 
nodded  enthusiastically  and  turned  to  the  Duke 
expectantly. 

And  Lotzen  saw  that  he  was  losing — and  with 
rage  and  hatred  in  his  heart,  but  with  calm  face  and 
voice  softer  even  than  usual,  he  made  his  last  play, 
knowing  well  that  though  it  might  not  win,  it  would 
at  least  work  a  sweet  revenge  upon  his  rival. 

"  An  admirable  compromise  for  you,  cousin 
mine,"  he  laughed ;  "  and  clever,  very  clever — you 
and  Dehra  are  to  be  married  on  the  twenty-seventh. 
What  difference,  think  you,  will  there  be  between 
you  as  King  and  you  as  Consort  of  the  Princess 
Regent?  "  Then  he  faced  the  Council  and  flung  his 
last  card:  "Otherwise,  my  lords,"  he  said  with 
suave  frankness,  "  I  would  willingly  accept  His 
Highness'  proposition — or  I  will  accept  it,  if  it  is 
engaged  that  the  wedding  shall  abide  the  termination 
of  the  Regency  ....  how  say  you,  cousin  ?  " 

Once  again  had  the  Duke  turned  the  situation  by 
his  devilish  cleverness,  and  Armand's  fingers  itched 
to  take  him  by  the  throat  and  choke  the  life  out  of 


THE  COMPROMISE  85 

him;  and  Lotzen,  reading  something  of  this  in  his 
eyes,  grinned  malevolently. 

"  How  say  you,  cousin?  "  he  repeated,  "  how  say 
you?  " 

The  Archduke  deliberately  gave  him  his  back. 
"  My  lords,"  he  said,  "  it  seems  the  Duke  of  Lotzen 
would  force  you  to  the  choice." 

But  the  old  Count  did  not  intend  to  forego  the 
compromise.  He  wanted  Armand  for  king  because 
Armand  was,  de  facto,  the  Head  of  the  House,  be- 
cause he  was  convinced  the  decree  had  been  executed, 
because  it  would  make  Dehra  the  Queen,  and  because 
he  despised  Lotzen.  With  the  Princess  as  Regent, 
there  would  be  ample  means  to  swing  the  Nobles  to 
the  Archduke,  and  to  prepare  the  public  for  his 
accession.  Of  course,  it  would  also  give  Lotzen  time 
to  campaign,  yet  he  who  fights  the  government  has 
a  rough  road  to  travel,  and  usually  falls  by  the  way. 
Leastwise,  the  Count  was  very  ready  to  adventure  it. 
But  he  needed  aid  now;  and  aid  that  could  come 
from  but  one  quarter  and  which  he  could  seek  only 
by  indirection — Dehra  alone  controlled  the  situation. 

"  The  compromise  suggested  is  admirable,"  he 
said,  "  and  though  there  is  force  in  the  objection 
made  to  it,  yet,  my  lord,"  (addressing  Lotzen)  "  you 
cannot  expect  the  Archduke  to  accept  your  amend- 
ment. It  is  not  for  the  man  to  change  the  wedding 
day " 

The  Princess  sat  up  sharply.  When  Armand  had 
suggested  her  as  Regent  she  had  leaned  forward  to 


86  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

decline,  but  catching  Epping's  eye  she  had  read  an 
almost  imperious  order  to  wait ;  and  having  full  faith 
in  him,  she  had  obeyed.  Now  she  saw  what  he 
wanted ;  and  though  it  was  against  her  heart's  desire 
and  a  cheerless  business,  yet  her  own  judgment  told 
her  he  was  right. 

"  It  is  not  for  the  man,"  the  Count  repeated,  look- 
ing at  her  hard,  "  to  change  the  wedding  day,  and 
least  of  all " 

"  Wait,  monsieur,"  she  broke  in.  "  It  seems  that 
unwittingly  I  have  been  drawn  into  the  situation, 
and  put  in  a  position  where  I  am  obliged  to  speak. 
Does  the  Royal  Council  approve  this  compromise, 
and  desire  me  to  become  Regent  of  Valeria  ?  " 

The  Count  smiled  in  supreme  satisfaction. 

"  I  can  assure  Your  Highness  we  are  of  one  mind 
that,  in  this  exigency,  it  is  your  duty  to  assume  the 
office." 

The  Princess  arose.  "  Then,  my  lords,"  she  said 
gravely,  "  I  accept,  hereby  engaging  that  my  wed- 
ding shall  abide  the  termination  of  the  Regency." 

The  Archduke  made  a  gesture  of  protest,  but 
Dehra  flashed  him  her  subduing  smile  and  shook  her 
head,  and  there  was  naught  for  him  to  do  but  to 
smile  back — and  add  one  more  to  the  score  that, 
some  day,  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  would  have  to  settle. 

The  Prime  Minister  looked  at  the  Duke  with  a 
bland  smile  of  triumph,  and  then  at  Armand. 

"  Is  it  your  joint  wish,"  he  asked,  "  that  we  ratify 
the  stipulation  and  proclaim  the  Regency  ?  " 


THE  COMPROMISE  87 

"  It  is,"  said  the  Archduke ;  but  Lotzen  only 
bowed. 

Count  Epping  drew  his  sword. 

"  Valeria  hails  the  Princess  Dehra  as  Regent,"  he 
cried.  It  was  the  ancient  formula  changed  to  fit  the 
occasion. 

And  this  time  Armand's  blade  rang  with  the 
others  across  the  table,  and  his  voice  joined  exult- 
antly in  the  answer  that  echoed  through  the  room. 

"  We  hail  the  Princess  Regent !  " 

As  the  sound  died  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  stepped 
forward  and  bent  knee. 

"  God  save  Your  Royal  Highness ! "  he  said,  and 
again  Dehra  gave  him  her  hand. 

"  And  grant  me  strength,"  she  answered. 

"  Amen,"  said  the  Count  gravely.    "  Amen." 

It  was  Lotzen  who  broke  the  stillness. 

"  With  Your  Highness'  permission  I  will  with- 
draw," he  said ;  "  there  are  pressing  personal  affairs 
which  demand  my  presence  elsewhere."  He  turned 
to  go. 

"  One  moment,  cousin,"  said  she — then  to  the 
Prime  Minister :  "  Will  the  Council  need  His  High- 
ness? " 

There  was  the  same  gracious  manner,  the  same 
soft  voice,  and  yet,  in  those  few  words,  she  warned 
them  all  that  there  was  now  a  Regent  in  Valeria — 
and  a  Dalberg  regent,  too. 

"  There  is  nothing  now  but  to  draw  the  Proclama- 


88  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

tion  for  your  signature,"  said  the  Count — "  the 
other  matters  can  abide  for  the  time." 

And  Lotzen,  at  the  Princess*  nod  of  permission, 
went  slowly  from  the  room,  his  surprise  still  stronger 
than  his  anger ;  though,  in  the  end,  it  was  the  latter 
that  lingered  and  left  its  mark  in  his  unforgiving 
soul. 

While  the  Count  was  drafting  the  Proclamation 
made  necessary  by  the  changed  conditions,  the  Prin- 
cess sat  in  silence,  gazing  in  abstracted  contempla- 
tion through  the  window.  Regent  of  Valeria !  the 
second  the  kingdom  had  known ;  the  first  had  been  a 
woman,  too — Eleanor,  mother  of  the  infant,  Henry 
the  Third  of  glorious  memory — yet,  was  it  wise — 
was  it  in  fact  her  duty — her  duty  to  her  House ;  to 
her  beloved  ?  Surely  it  was  not  to  her  pleasure — she 
who  had  been  happy  in  her  nearing  wedding  day — 
her  lover  placed  next  the  Throne — his  bright  future 
and  her  joy  for  it.  And  now — the  wait — the  strug- 
gle— the  obligation  of  right,  of  justice;  the  putting 
off  the  woman,  the  putting  on  the  ruler  where 
the  woman  interfered.  Her  father !  she  turned  that 
thought  aside  sharply — she  had  turned  it  aside  many 
times  since  yesterday,  as  he  had  bade  her  to  do: — 
"  When  I  go,  child,  do  not  grieve."  Yet,  when  two 
have  been  comrades  for  years  it  is  not  easy. 

The  Count  ceased  his  writing  and,  laying  aside  the 
pen,  looked  up. 

"  Will  it  please  Your  Highness  to  sign  ? "  he 
said  quickly — he  had  little  liking  at  any  time  for 


THE  COMPROMISE  89 

a  woman's  reverie,  and  none  at  all  when  it  was  of 
the  sort  he  knew  this  reverie  to  be — and  the  woman 
had  work  to  do. 

And  Dehra,  preoccupied  though  she  was,  had 
missed  nothing  that  was  doing  at  the  table,  and  she 
let  him  know  she  understood  him,  by  a  smile  and  a 
shake  of  her  handsome  head.  It  was  not  exactly  a 
reproof,  and  yet  neither  was  it  an  encouragement  to 
do  the  like  again. 

"  Please  read  it,"  she  said. 

It  was  very  brief — reciting  the  death  of  Frederick 
the  Fourth,  the  disappearance  of  the  Book  of  Laws, 
the  stipulation  of  the  Archduke  and  the  Duke  rela- 
tive to  the  Succession  remaining  in  abeyance,  the 
creation  of  a  Regency  during  the  inter-regnum  and 
the  Princess'  acceptance  of  the  office. 

When  he  had  done,  she  asked  if  there  were  any 
suggestions,  and  none  being  offered,  she  signed  it 
and  returned  it  to  the  Count.  Immediately  the 
Council  arose  and  she  and  Armand  retired,  by 
the  same  way  they  had  entered. 

As  they  passed  through  the  library,  Dehra  went 
over  to  the  desk. 

"  Here  is  where  the  King  sat  that  last  night,"  she 
said,  "  and  here  the  Book  of  Laws  lay,  and  here  was 
the  box.  I  can't  imagine  what  he  did  with  the  Book 
— nor  why  he  removed  it  from  the  box — and  the 
box  was  in  its  usual  place  in  the  vault  when  I  gave  it 
to  you  to  take  to  the  Council " 


90  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

A  door  latch  clicked,  and  Adolph,  the  valet,  came 
in  hurriedly. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  the  Archduke,  seeing  he  wished  to 
speak. 

"  The  box,  my  lord,"  he  answered ;  "  you  left  it 
in  the  council-chamber — is  it  to  remain  there?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  Princess — "  bring  it  here  at  once." 

She  went  to  the  vault  and  opened  it 

**  Put  it  on  the  shelf  in  the  rear,"  she  ordered,  when 
Adolph  returned.  He  obeyed  and  gave  her  the 
key. 

"  There  was  no  need  to  lock  it,"  she  remarked. 

"  It  has  a  spring  lock,  mademoiselle,"  said  the 
man.  "  It  snapped  when  I  closed  the  lid." 

Dehra  nodded  indifferently.  "  So  it  has  .... 
Shut  the  vault  door."  Then  motioned  to  him  in 
dismissal. 

"  It 's  of  small  consequence,"  she  remarked  to 
Armand,  as  she  gave  the  combination  a  twirl,  "  the 
box  is  of  little  use  without  the  Book." 

As  she  turned  away,  her  glance  fell  on  the  big 
portrait  of  her  father  that  hung  high  on  the  oppo- 
site wall — and  of  a  sudden  the  reaction  came,  and 
the  tears  started,  and  her  lips  twitched.  She  reached 
out  her  hand  appealingly  to  Armand.  In  silence,  he 
put  his  arm  around  her  and  led  her  quickly  from 
the  room. 


VI 

THE   REWARD   OF   A   MEDDLER 

WHEN  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  left  the  Council,  he 
passed  leisurely  down  the  corridor  toward  one  of  the 
private  exits.  The  pressing  business  that  was  de- 
manding his  immediate  attention  seemed  to  bother 
him  no  longer,  and  he  even  took  the  trouble  to  ac- 
knowledge the  salute  of  the  guard  who  paced  before 
the  main  stairway;  whereat  the  man  stared  after 
him  in  unfeigned  surprise,  until  the  Duke,  suddenly 
looking  back,  caught  him  in  the  act — and  with  a 
frown  sent  him  to  the  about-face  and  the  far  end  of 
his  beat. 

So  no  one  saw  His  Highness  step  quickly  over  and 
try  the  door  of  the  King's  library,  and,  when  it 
opened  to  him — as  he  had  anticipated  it  would,  the 
Princess  having  come  that  way  to  the  Council — go  in 
and  close  it  softly  behind  him.  Dropping  the  lock, 
he  went  to  the  door  of  the  private  cabinet  (which 
was  between  the  library  and  the  room  used  for  the 
Council  meetings)  and  listened.  Hearing  nothing, 
he  opened  it  very  cautiously  and  peered  inside;  no 
one  was  there  and  he  fixed  the  door  a  bit  ajar,  so  as 
to  be  warned  if  anyone  entered  from  the  Council. 

The  library  was  a  large  room,  paneled  ceiling  and 
sides  in  wood  painted  an  ivory  white ;  the  great,  wide 
windows  were  half  hidden  by  the  Gobelin  blue  tapes- 

91 


92  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

tries  that  hung  in  folds  to  the  floor;  heavy  book- 
cases of  carved  mahogany  lined  the  walls ;  the  furni- 
ture was  of  the  massive  Empire  style,  but  the  desk 
was  a  big,  oblong,  flat-topped  affair  that  had  been 
made  over  Frederick's  own  design — and  which  more 
than  compensated  in  utility  for  what  it  lacked  in 
artistry.  It  pleased  its  owner  and  so  fulfilled  its 
mission.  It  stood  a  little  way  back  from  the  center 
of  the  room,  the  great  crystal  chandelier  above  its 
outer  edge,  and  all  the  doors  directly  in  focus  of  the 
revolving  chair  behind  it. 

It  was  to  this  chair  that  the  Duke  went  and  began 
hurriedly  to  go  through  the  papers  on  the  desk,  yet 
taking  the  utmost  care  not  to  disturb  their  arrange- 
ment, and  replacing  them  exactly  as  he  found  them. 
Evidently  whatever  he  was  seeking  was  of  the  sort 
that  needed  no  examination  to  prove  it,  for  he  passed 
over  letters  and  written  documents  without  a  glance 
at  their  contents.  It  was  not  on  the  desk  and  he 
began  on  the  drawers,  none  of  which  was  locked. 
One  after  another  was  searched  without  success,  and 
the  Duke's  brow  went  blacker  and  blacker,  until,  as 
the  last  proved  barren,  he  flung  himself  into  the 
chair,  and  again  ran  over  the  documents  on  top — 
and  again  without  finding  what  he  sought. 

"  It  was  only  a  chance,"  he  muttered,  sending  his 
glance  around  the  room,  "  only  a  feeble  chance ; 
.  .  .  .  *  He  was  blotting  a  page  as  I  entered,' 
was  what  she  said  ....  and  if  it  were  a 
fresh  blotter  it  might  tell  the  story."  He  went 


THE  REWARD  OF  A  MEDDLER       93 

over  to  the  vault,  the  front  of  which  was  painted 
white  and  paneled  to  correspond  to  the 

walls,  and  tried  the  door "  Locked, 

of  course " 

Suddenly  he  turned  toward  the  King's  cabinet, 
listening;  then  sprang  quickly  behind  one  of  the 
window  curtains;  and  its  swaying  had  not  ceased 
when  the  Princess  and  Armand  entered,  on  their 
return  from  the  Council. 

Unseen,  he  was  also  unseeing ;  yet  hearing,  he  had 
little  need  for  eyes — it  was  easy  to  picture  all  that 
occurred: — Dehra's  pointing  out  the  positions  of 
the  King,  the  Laws  and  the  box;  the  entry  of 
Adolph ;  the  opening  of  the  vault ;  the  valet's  return 
with  the  box ;  his  dismissal ;  the  locking  again  of  the 
vault.  But  what  then  happened  always  puzzled  the 
Duke — that  it  was  something  unexpected  was  proved 
by  the  sudden  silence,  and  pause,  before  either  of 
them  moved,  followed  at  once  by  the  closing  of  the 
corridor  door. 

He  waited  a  moment,  until  he  was  sure  they  had 
gone,  then  went  to  the  desk.  What  had  disturbed 
the  American  and  the  Princess — why  had  their  talk 
ceased  so  abruptly — why  did  they  wait,  unmoving, 
and  then  go  out  together  and  still  unspeaking? 
Had  they  seen  him?  ....  Im- 
possible; even  the  window  did  not  show  through 
the  tapestry;  and  he  had  been  against  the  wall. 
His  gloves — had  he  let  them  lie  some- 
where? ....  no,  they  were  drawn  through 


94  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

his  sword  belt He  studied  the  desk 

top — the  floor — the  chairs They  told 

him  nothing;  ....  and,  yet,  it  was  very 
queer  ....  Had  any  part  of  him  been  ex- 
posed beyond  the  curtain?  He  went  back  and  got 
behind  it  ....  it  completely  covered  him 
— and  as  he  stood  there  the  cabinet  door  opened 
and  Adolph  came  in  softly. 

He  glanced  around  quickly,  then  went  straight  to 
the  vault  and  began  to  turn  the  knob,  while  the 
Duke,  one  eye  just  beyond  the  curtain's  edge, 
watched  him  curiously.  Could  it  be  that  this  servant 
was  familiar  with  the  combination  of  the  lock,  that 
only  the  King  and  Dehra  were  supposed  to  know! 
If  so  .  .  .  .  the  bolts  shot  back,  the  door 
opened,  and  the  valet  disappeared  in  the  vault.  In 
a  moment  he  came  out  with  the  box;  but  Lotzen 
did  not  see  him,  having  drawn  behind  the  curtain; 
nor  did  he  venture  again  to  look  out  except  when 
assured  that  Adolph's  back  was  toward  him. 

Placing  the  box  on  the  desk,  the  valet  laid  back 
the  lid  and  with  another  furtive  look  around,  went 
swiftly  across  to  the  wall,  where  hung  the  big,  life- 
sized  portrait  of  the  King,  the  escutcheon,  on  the 
top  of  the  heavy  gold  frame,  almost  against  the 
ceiling.  Under  it  was  a  tall,  straight-backed  chair, 
with  high  arms;  and,  mounting  on  them,  Adolph 
reached  behind  the  picture  and,  from  the  space  be- 
tween it  and  the  wall,  drew  out  an  ancient  book, 


THE  REWARD  OP  A  MEDDLER       95 

leather-bound  and  metal-hinged: — the  Laws  of  the 
Dalbergs. 

With  a  faint  chuckle,  he  sprang  down  and  started 
toward  the  box;  then  stopped — the  Book  slipped 
from  his  fingers — he  gasped — his  eyes  widened  in 
terrified  amazement — his  face  took  on  the  gray  pallor 
of  awful  fear ;  for  the  Duke  of  Lotzen  had  emerged 
from  behind  the  window  curtain  and  was  coming 
slowly  toward  him. 

"  You  seem  startled,  Adolph,"  said  the  Duke,  with 
an  amused  smile,  "  doubtless  you  thought  you  were 
alone."  He  sat  down  in  the  revolving  chair.  "  May 
I  trouble  you  to  give  me  the  Book — the  floor  is 
hardly  the  place  for  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs." 

The  valet's  composure  had  returned,  in  a  meas- 
ure, at  the  tone  of  the  other's  voice,  but  his  hand 
still  trembled  as  he  picked  up  the  Book  and  carried 
it  to  the  desk. 

"  Thank  you,  Adolph,"  said  Lotzen,  "  thank  you 
you  seem  a  trifle  shaky,  sit  down  and 
rest  "  (indicating  a  chair  near  by).  "I  shall  need 
you  presently." 

He  watched  the  man  until  he  had  obeyed,  then 
opened  the  Laws  and  turned  quickly  to  the  last 
decree. 

Across  the  page  lay  a  fresh,  white  blotter,  used 
but  twice,  he  noticed,  as  he  turned  it  over.  He  had 
come  for  this  very  bit  of  paper,  that  Dehra  had 
casually  mentioned  in  her  story  to  the  Council — 
hoping  vaguely  that  the  King  had  let  it  lie,  and  that 


96  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

it  had  not  been  destroyed  by  the  servants  who  cared 
for  the  desk.  He  would  have  been  amply  satisfied 
with  the  faint  chance  it  might  give  him  of  guessing 
the  decree  from  the  few  words  the  mirror  would 
disclose.  But,  now,  he  had  no  need  for  guesses  nor 
mirrors;  and  with  a  light  laugh  he  laid  the  blotter 
aside.  Surely,  the  Goddess  of  Fortune  was  with 
him !  And  to  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  this  meant  much ; 
for  to  him  there  was  only  one  other  Divinity,  and 
that  other  was  a  female,  too. 

Thrice  he  read  Frederick's  decree;  first  rapidly, 
then  slowly,  then  word  by  word,  as  it  were. 

And  all  the  while  Adolph  watched  him  covertly,  a 
sly  smile  in  his  small,  black  eyes.  He  had  quite  re- 
covered from  his  fright — though  he  might  be  led  to 
pretend  otherwise — indeed,  now  that  he  had  time  to 
think,  he  could  find  no  reason  why  the  Duke  should 
punish  him ;  rather  did  he  deserve  an  ample  reward 
for  having  kept  the  Laws  from  the  Council.  In 
fact,  why  should  he  not  demand  a  reward,  if  it  were 
not  offered? — demand  it  discreetly,  to  be  sure,  but 
none  the  less  demand  it.  And,  as  the  Duke  read, 
and  re-read,  the  reward  piled  higher,  and  visions  of 
Paris  (it  is  strange  how,  under  certain  conditions, 
the  thoughts  of  a  certain  sort  of  people  turn  to 
Paris  as  instinctively  as  the  needle  to  the  Pole) 
danced  before  his  eyes.  ....  And  presently 
he  forgot  the  Duke,  and  the  Laws,  and  Dornlitz — 
he  was  sitting  at  a  little  table  along  the  Boulevard 
des  Italiens,  an  absinthe  at  his  hand,  a  merry  girl, 


THE  REWARD  OF  A  MEDDLER       97 

with  sparkling  eyes  and  perfumed  hair,  at  his  elbow, 
a  sensuous  waltz  song  in  his  ears,  and  light, 
and  life,  and  love,  and  lingerie  in  every  breath  of 
air 

"Dreaming,  Adolph,"  said  Lotzen,  "dreaming? 
.  ...  of  what,  pray  ? " 

"  Of  Paris,  my  lord,"  he  answered  unthinkingly. 

The  Duke  regarded  him  in  frowning  surprise. 

"  Paris  !  "  he  muttered,  "  Paris !  has  everyone  gone 
Paris  mad  ?  " 

"  It  was  of  the  Boulevards,  my  lord — the  music 
and  the  lights  and  the " 

"  Shut  up  !  "   exclaimed  Lotzen ;  "  to  the  devil 
with    your    Paris  and  its  Boulevards!     .     . 
How  did  this  Book  get  behind  that  picture?  " 

"  I  put  it  there,  monsieur." — The  reward  was  not 
piled  quite  as  high  as  he  had  fancied. 

"Why?" 

"  To  hide  it,  monsieur — until  I  could  replace  it  in 
the  box." — The  reward  was  dwindling  marvellously 
fast. 

"  Then  you  stole  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs?  " 

Adolph    did    not    answer It    was 

queer  how  chilly  the  room  had  got.  It  had  seemed 
warm  enough,  a  moment  ago. 

The  Duke  regarded  him  meditatively. 

"  Come,"  he  said  presently ;  "  tell  me  how  you 
managed  it.  My  time  is  short — speak  up." 

The  valet  slunk  a  furtive  look  at  his  face ;  it  was 
7 


98  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

expressionlessly  pitiless. — The  reward  had  disap- 
peared. 

"  Your  Highness  will  believe  me?  "  he  asked. 

"  Believe  you,  Adolph !  surely — a  valet  never  lies ! 
Go  on." 

The  man  gulped — ran  his  tongue  over  his  lips — 
gulped  again — then  began,  his  voice  husky,  full  of 
quavers  and  sudden  stops;  while  the  Duke,  with 
steady  gaze  and  searching  eye,  drove  him  on  as  with 
a  lash. 

"  Your  Highness  heard  my  story  to  the  Council," 
said  Adolph ;  "  all  of  it  was  true  except  as  to  the 
last  time  I  saw  the  Book  of  Laws  ....  I 
happened  to  witness  the  scene  between  Her  Royal 
Highness  and  the  King.  It  was  just  as  she  related 
it,  monsieur.  When  she  had  gone,  His  Majesty 
sat,  doing  nothing — and  presently  he  dropped 

asleep I  came  to  the  room  a  number 

of  times,  and  always  that  Book  stared  at  me,  and 
my  curiosity  as  to  the  decree  grew  hotter  every 
minute.  After  a  while,  the  King  awoke  and  told 
me  to  put  the  Book  in  the  box  and  return  it  to  its 
place  in  the  vault — then  he  went  over  to  the  side- 
board and  poured  out  a  drink Here, 

monsieur,  was  my  opportunity — I  laid  the  Book 
in  the  box  and  lowered  the  lid,  but  slipped  in  an 
envelope  to  prevent  it  locking,  then  put  it  in  the 
vault — which  the  King  himself  closed.  After  he 
had  retired,  I  opened  the  vault  and  got  out  the 
Book » 


THE  REWARD  OF  A  MEDDLER       99 

"  How  did  you  know  the  combination?  "  the  Duke 
asked. 

"  By — by — watching  the  King,  monsieur  .  .  . 
I  had  picked  up  the  numbers  one  by  one.  -.»  '  .  * 
long  ago." 

Lotzen  tossed  him  a  bit  of  paper  and  a  pencil. 

"  Write  out  the  combination,"  he  ordered — and 
smiled  at  the  servant's  trembling  hand  and  labored 

motions "  Thank  you ;  " — glancing  at 

the  paper  and  dropping  it  carelessly  in  his  pocket 
— "  proceed — you  had  just  got  the  Book  out  of  the 
vault." 

"  While  I  was  examining  it,  monsieur,"  Adolph 
resumed,  "  I  thought  I  heard  the  King  moving  about 
in  his  room.  I  sprang  inside  the  vault,  drew  the 
door  shut,  but  not  quite  tight,  and  tried  to  put  the 
Book  in  the  box.  But  I  must  have  been  nervous, 
monsieur,  for,  in  some  way,  I  struck  the  lid  and 
knocked  it  down ;  and  it  locked,  leaving  the  book  in 
my  hand.  I  could  not  open  the  box — the  only  key 
was  under  the  King's  pillow,  on  his  watch  chain. 
What  was1  to  be  done?  I  dared  not  try  for  it  that 
night ;  the  King  was  too  light  a  sleeper ; — nor  did  I 
dare  leave  the  Book  in  the  vault,  there  was  no  place 
to  conceal  it,  and  he  was  sure  to  go  in  there  in 
the  morning.  What  was  to  do,  monsieur?  I 
listened — everything  seemed  quiet;  I  opened  the 
door  very  slowly — no  one  was  in  the  room — I 
stepped  out,  and  the  King's  portrait  confronted  me 
• — I  stared  at  it  a  moment,  frightened  as  though  it 


100  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

were  my  master — then,  of  a  sudden,  I  knew  I  had 
found  the  hiding  place,  and  I  sprang  up  and  put  the 

Book  behind  the  picture And  in  the 

morning,  monsieur,  I  forgot  the  Book — forgot  it 
until  His  Majesty  had  gone  to  the  city. — Then,  in 
desperation,  I  tried  every  key  I  could  find — tried  to 

pick   the   lock — in   vain I   knew   the 

Archduke  Armand  was  to  dine  here  that  evening,  and 
from  what  the  King  had  said  to  the  Princess  I  knew, 
also,  the  Book  would  have  to  be  in  the  box  before 
then.  I  felt,  however,  that  I  would  have  a  good 
chance  at  the  key  when  my  master  dressed  for  din- 
ner. Then,  my  lord,  came  the  awful  news  of  his 
death,  and  once  again  I  forgot  the  Book — nor  ever 
thought  of  it,  until  I  saw  the  Council  gather — and 
then "  he  threw  up  his  hand,  expressively. 

"  And,  now,  what  were  you  about  to  do  ?  "  asked 
Lotzen. 

"  Put  the  Book  in  the  box,  monsieur,  and  return  it 
to  its  place  in  the  vault." 

The  Duke  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  Clever,  clever,  indeed,"  he  muttered     . 
"  I  thought  you  gave  the  key  to  Her  Highness." 

Adolph  smiled — his  spirit  was  never  long  in 
travail.  "  I  did,  monsieur — I  did  n't  need  it ; — and 
it  was  a  good  play  to  give  it  up  at  once.  Never 
having  had  the  key  to  the  box,  it  could  not  be  I  who 
replaced  the  Book." 

Lotzen  studied  the  little  valet  a  bit. 


THE  REWARD  OF  A  MEDDLER     101 

"  Clever,"  he  repeated,  "  clever  .... 
quite  too  clever,  I  fear."  He  leaned  across  and 
tried  the  closed  lid  of  the  box ;  it  lifted  to  his  hand 
— and  out  on  the  desk  dropped  the  little  square 
of  folded  paper  that  had  held  the  lock  just  out  of 
catch. 

"  Altogether,  too  clever,"  he  concluded,  picking  it 
up  and  looking  at  it. 

"  I  fixed  that  in  the  Council  chamber,"  Adolph 
explained ;  then  he  stared  knowingly  at  the  Duke — 
"  monsieur  was  behind  the  curtain  when  I  brought 
back  the  box." 

Decidedly,  this  fellow  was  not  to  Lotzen's  liking. 
He  made  no  reply  beyond  a  quick,  sidelong  glance, 
drumming  with  his  finger  tips  softly  on  his  knee. 
Then  he  turned  to  the  desk  and  tapped  the  Book  of 
Laws. 

"You  read  this,  I  suppose,  Adolph?"  he  re- 
marked indifferently. 

"  King  Frederick's,  you  mean  ? — yes,  my  lord,  I 
did;  but  that  is  all — I  had  no  time  to  read  more." 

The  Duke  nodded,  his  eyes  on  the  Book. 

The  valet  was  becoming  uneasy ;  he  fidgeted  in  his 
chair,  locked  and  unlocked  his  hands,  listened  toward 
all  the  doors. 

"  My  lord,"  he  said,  at  length,  "  we  may  be  found 
here ! " 

Lotzen  closed  the  Book.  "  True,  Adolph,  true," 
he  answered,  getting  up  and  stepping  back.  "  Put 
the  Laws  in  the  box — don't  let  it  lock." 


102  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  valet  sprang  to  obey ;  and  as  he  leaned  across 
the  desk — his  back  to  the  Duke — and  dropped  the 
Book  into  the  box,  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  whipped  out 
his  sword,  and,  with  the  sure  hand  of  the  skilled 
fencer,  drove  the  rapier-like  blade  through  the  man's 
heart. 

Without  cry  or  struggle,  Adolph  sank  forward; 
and  the  box  locked,  as  the  lid  fell  under  him. 

For  a  moment,  the  Duke  held  the  body  with  his 
sword ;  then  he  slowly  drew  out  the  blade  and  wiped 
it  on  his  handkerchief;  while  the  dead  man  slipped 
from  the  desk  and  crumpled  on  the  floor. 

Lotzen  looked  down  at  him  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  You  poor  fool,"  he  muttered — "  why  did  you 
read  what  did  n't  concern  you !"....  He 
stooped  and  turned  the  body  on  its  face.  "  No 
blood ! — a  neat  thrust,  truly." 

He  knew  the  room  overlooked  the  King's  private 
gardens,  and,  going  to  a  window,  he  cautiously 
raised  the  sash.  It  was  as  he  had  thought: — below 
was  a  thick  hedge  of  box-wood,  that  grew  to  within 
a  foot  of  the  palace  wall,  which  at  that  point  was 
blank.  Fortune  was  still  his  friend,  it  seemed ;  and, 
with  a  smile,  he  carried  the  valet's  body  to  the  win- 
dow and — after  a  quick  survey  of  the  garden  to 
assure  that  no  one  was  in  sight — balanced  it  an 
instant  on  the  casement,  then  dropped  it  behind  the 
hedge. 


THE  DEAD  MAN  SLIPPED  FROM  THE  DESK. 


THE  REWARD  OF  A  MEDDLER     103 

Drawing  down  the  window  he  rearranged  the  cur- 
tains and  returned  to  the  desk. 

"  Damnation  !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  his  eyes  fell  upon 
the  box — "  Locked ! — the  fool  must  have  fallen  on 
it." 

He  stood  looking  at  it,  frowning  in  indecision.  He 
had  intended  to  take  the  Book  with  him,  trusting  to 
conceal  it  under  his  short  cavalry  cape — but  the 
box  was  impossible;  not  only  was  it  considerably 
larger  than  the  Laws,  but  its  weight  was  amazing 

for  its   size Then  he   saw  the   open 

vault,  and  what  to  do  was  plain — he  would  follow 
the  valet's  plan.  None  now  would  look  in  the  box, 
and,  for  a  time,  the  Book  would  be  safer  there  than 
with  him;  later,  he  could  arrange  to  get  it — he 

knew    the    combination He    laughed 

cynically — it  was  a  pretty  game,  and  the  pleasanter 
because  it  would  be  played  directly  under  the  Ameri- 
can's eye. 

He  carried  the  box  into  the  vault,  closed  and 
locked  the  door,  and,  returning  to  the  desk,  put  in 
place  the  papers  disarranged  by  the  valet's  fall. 
Among  them  lay  the  blotter  that  had  been  in  the 
Book  of  Laws.  He  studied  it  a  moment  .... 
made  as  though  to  tear  it  ....  then  folded 
it  and  put  it  in  the  inside  pocket  of  his  jacket.  A 
last  glance  around  the  room  assured  him  that  every- 
thing was  as  he  had  found  it.  With  a  satisfied 
smile,  he  turned  toward  the  corridor  door,  and  his 


104  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

eyes  rested  on  the  portrait  of  His  late  Majesty. 
He  stopped,  and  the  smile  changed  to  a  sneer,  and 
doffing  his  cap  he  bowed  mockingly. 

"  My  thanks,  Sire,  for  dying  so  opportunely,"  he 
said ;  "  may  the  devil  keep  you." 


VII 

THE    ARMISTICE    OF    MOURNING 

AND  so  Frederick  the  Fourth  of  Valeria  slept  with 
his  fathers,  and  Dehra,  his  daughter,  ruled,  as 
Regent,  in  his  stead. 

In  the  great  crypt  of  the  Cathedral,  among  the 
other  Dalbergs,  they  had  laid  him  away,  with  all  the 
pomp  and  circumstance  that  befit  a  king — within, 
the  gorgeous  uniforms  and  vestments,  the  chanting 
priests,  the  floating  incense;  without,  the  boom  of 
cannon,  the  toll  of  bells,  the  solemn  music  of  the 
bands,  the  click  of  hoofs,  the  rumble  of  the  caissons, 
the  tramp  of  many  feet. 

When  it  was  all  done,  the  visiting  Princes  hurried 
away,  the  governmental  machinery  sped  on,  the 
Capital  took  up  its  usual  routine,  and  all  that  re- 
mained externally  to  remind  the  people  of  a  ruler 
just  and  righteous,  were  the  draped  buildings  and 
the  crape  upon  the  troops.  And,  at  the  dead's  own 
express  behest,  even  these  had  vanished  on  the  fif- 
teenth day  after  his  demise.  "  Let  the  period  of 
mourning  be  limited  strictly  to  a  fortnight,  both  for 
the  Nation  and  my  House,"  he  had  written,  in  his 
own  hand,  as  a  codicil  to  his  Testament;  and  the 
Regent,  with  no  shade  of  hesitation,  had  ordered  it 
as  he  wished.  She  knew  it  was  Frederick's  last  kind- 
ness to  his  subjects.  A  Court  in  sackcloth  buries  the 

105 


106  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Capital  in  ashes,  drives  the  tradesmen  into  insolv- 
ency, and  bores  the  Nobility  well  nigh  into  insanity 
or  revolt. 

And  as  she  ordered,  so  she  did — though  sadly  and 
regretfully — and,  with  a  blessing  upon  her,  the 
Court  resumed  its  accustomed  life  and  garb,  and 
Dornlitz  its  gayety  and  pleasures.  Yet  Valeria  was 
sorry  enough  at  Frederick's  demise — sorrier  far  than 
he  would  have  believed  it  could  be.  At  the  best,  a 
King  is  of  use,  these  days,  only  as  a  head  for  the 
Government — and  when  the  new  head  is  capable  and 
popular,  the  old  one  is  not  missed  for  long. 

As  it  was,  the  people  had  scarcely  realized  that 
Frederick  was  dead  when  they  were  met  with  the 
amazing  Proclamation  of  Dehra's  Regency ;  with  the 
result  that  usually  follows  when  sorrow  and  joy 
mingle,  with  joy  mingling  last. 

In  the  interval,  there  had  been  no  developments 
as  to  the  Book  of  Laws.  The  Duke  of  Lotzen  had 
observed  the  very  strictest  of  mourning ;  not  trans- 
gressing, in  the  slightest  particular,  the  most  trivial 
canon  of  propriety.  He  had  remained  practically 
secluded  in  his  big  residence  on  the  Alta  Avenue, 
appearing  in  public  only  at  intervals.  He  had  paid 
his  brief  visit  of  condolence  to  the  Princess  and  had 
been  greeted  by  her  with  calm  and  formal  dignity. 
He  had  made  his  call  of  ceremony  upon  the  Governor 
of  Dornlitz — the  Archduke  Armand — and  had  been 
received  by  him  in  the  presence  of  half  his  Staff. 
Then,  after  the  funeral  of  the  dead  King,  he  had 


THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING    107 

settled  down  to  wait  the  termination  of  the  two 
weeks  of  enforced  inactivity.  He  could  well  afford, 
for  that  long,  to  dally  with  the  future.  So  he  sub- 
dued his  natural  indisposition  to  quiet  and  orderly 
living,  and  sternly  bade  Bigler  and  the  others  do 
likewise,  telling  them  that  the  search  for  the  Laws 
and  the  removal  of  the  American  could  abide  for 
the  time. 

But  never  a  word  did  he  speak  to  them  of  having 
seen  the  Book  and  what  Frederick  had  written  the 
night  before  he  died. 

Sometime  before  midnight,  of  the  day  that 
Adolph,  the  valet,  had  been  killed,  the  sergeant  of 
the  guard,  in  making  his  rounds,  saw  a  man  skulk- 
ing in  the  private  garden.  At  the  order  to  stand, 
the  fellow  had  dashed  away,  and,  seemingly  un- 
harmed by  the  shot  sent  after  him,  he  leaped  the  low 
wall  into  the  park,  where  among  the  trees  and 
bushes,  he  had  little  difficulty  in  escaping.  The 
matter  was  duly  reported  to  the  officer  of  the  day 
and  an  entry  made  of  it,  but  as  such  occurrences 
were  rather  frequent  in  the  park,  due  sometimes  to 
petty  pilferers  from  the  town,  and  sometimes  to  sol- 
diers out  without  pass,  it  received  no  special  atten- 
tion, beyond  a  cursory  inspection  of  the  locality  the 
following  morning. 

Two  days  later,  Adolph's  body  was  discovered  by 
a  gardener  who  was  clipping  the  hedge ;  and  then  it 
was  remembered  that  the  valet  had  not  been  seen 
since  the  morning  after  Frederick's  death.  No  one 


108  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

had  given  him  a  thought — in  truth,  no  one  cared 
anything  about  him.  Like  most  of  his  class  under 
such  circumstances,  he  had  won  the  cordial  hatred  of 
every  one  about  the  Court — a  spoiled,  impudent  and 
lying  knave.  Busy  with  the  royal  funeral,  and  the 
great  crowds  it  brought  to  the  Capital,  the  police 
gave  the  matter  scant  regard — the  fellow  was 
known  to  them  as  a  night  prowler  and  a  frequenter 
of  questionable  resorts,  and  to  have  had  numerous 
escapades  with  married  women ;  and  the  autopsy  in- 
dicating he  had  been  dead  at  least  thirty-six  hours, 
they  had  promptly  ascribed  the  death  to  the  skulker 
shot  at  by  the  sergeant.  There  was  no  other  clue  to 
work  on,  so,  after  a  perfunctory  search,  they 
shrugged  it  over  among  the  other  unsolved.  What 
was  the  use  of  bothering  about  a  valet,  any  way ! 
Besides,  it  was  a  case  to  let  alone,  unless  special 
orders  came  from  higher  powers. 

So  they  saw  to  it  that  the  affair  was  entirely  sup- 
pressed— such  happenings  around  royal  palaces  are 
not  for  the  public — and  the  information  was  casu- 
ally given  out  that  the  King's  valet  was  so  dis- 
tressed, by  his  royal  master's  death,  he  found  it  quite 
impossible  to  remain  in  Dornlitz,  and  had  returned 
to  France. 

Once  again,  had  the  fickle  Goddess  smiled  upon  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen,  still  captivated,  doubtless,  by  the 
very  debonairness  of  his  villainy  and  his  steady  gam- 
bler's nerve. 

And  all  unwittingly  the  Archduke  Armand  had 


THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING    109 

played  directly  into  Lotzen's  hands.  Out  of  con- 
sideration for  the  Princess,  he  had  insisted  that  they 
forget  the  Book  of  Laws  until  the  period  of  mourn- 
ing were  passed,  and  Dehra,  against  her  better  judg- 
ment, had  consented,  though  only  upon  condition 
that  they  two  should  first  make  a  thorough  search  of 
her  father's  apartments,  which  they  did  the  follow- 
ing morning ;  she  even  climbing  up  and  looking  be- 
hind the  large  pictures — much  to  Armand's  amuse- 
ment; he  asking  what  would  be  the  King's  object  in 
concealing  the  Book  in  such  a  place ;  and  she  retort- 
ing that,  as  there  was  no  reason  at  all  for  concealing 
it,  the  unreasonable  place  was  the  most  likely. 

And  in  that  she  was  very  right ;  for  the  box  itself 
was  now  the  most  unreasonable  place,  yet  even  her 
woman's  fancy  stopped  short  of  it. 

The  period  of  official  mourning  expired  on  the 
twentieth,  and  on  the  twenty-first,  the  Princess  tele- 
phoned to  the  Archduke  to  ride  out  to  the  Palace  for 
luncheon  that  day,  and  to  bring  the  American  Am- 
bassador with  him — unless  Mr.  Courtney  would 
object  to  being  with  Helen  Radnor — and  that  the 
day  being  very  warm  they  would  be  served  under  the 
trees  near  the  sun  dial,  below  the  marble  terrace — 
and  that  he  and  Courtney  should  join  them  there — 
and  that  Helen  was  with  her  now.  And  Armand 
had  laughed  and  readily  promised  for  them  both. 

As  he  hung  up  the  receiver,  Colonel  Bernheim 
stood  in  the  doorway,  and  he  nodded  for  him  to 
come  in. 


110  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Bernheim  saluted  and  crossing  to  the  desk  put 
down  a  small  package,  about  as  large  as  one's  fist. 

"  My  lord,"  he  said,  "  here  is  the  steel  vest." 

The  Archduke  leaned  back  and  laughed. 

"  You  say  that  as  naturally  as  though  it  were  my 
cap  or  gloves,"  he  commented. 

"  And  why  not,  sir — Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  is  in 
Dornlitz,  and  the  truce  is  ended." 

"  The  truce?  " 

"  The  truce  of  mourning — you  were  quite  safe 
so  long  as  it  lasted ;  Moore  and  I  made  sure  of  that." 

"  Really,  Colonel,  you  surprise  me,"  said  Armand. 
"  How  did  you  make  sure?  " 

"  By  having  some  one  buy  Bigler  plenty  of  wine, 
at  the  Club — and  then  putting  together  stray  words 
he  let  slip." 

The  Archduke  shook  his  head  in  mock  reproof. 

"  You  and  Moore  are  a  wonderful  pair,"  he  said. 
"  You  think  for  me  more  than  I  think  for  myself." 

A  smile  touched  Bernheim's  stern  mouth  and  im- 
passive face. 

"  We  need  to,  Your  Highness,"  he  answered. 
"  You  don't  think  at  all ;  you  leave  it  to  Lotzen." 
He  pushed  the  package  a  little  nearer — "  You  will 
wear  it,  my  lord  ?  " 

Armand  took  it,  and,  cutting  the  wrapper,  shook 
out  the  wonderful  steel  vest,  that  had  saved  his  life 
at  the  Vierle  Masque  when,  from  across  the  hedge, 
the  assassin's  dagger  had  sought  his  heart.  It  was, 
truly,  a  marvellous  bit  of  craftsmanship ;  pliable  as 


THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING    111 

silk  and  scarcely  more  bulky,  the  tiny  steel  links  so 
cunningly  joined  they  had  the  appearance  of 
dark  gray  cloth.  He  bent  and  twisted  it  in  admiring 
contemplation.  Verily,  those  armorers  of  old  Milan 
understood  their  art — never  could  modern  hand  have 
forged  and  knit  so  perfect  a  garment.  He  found  the 
mark  on  the  back,  where  the  bravo's  weapon  struck 
— only  a  scratch,  so  faint  it  was  almost  indistinguish- 
able, yet  the  blow  had  sent  him  plunging  on  his  face. 

"  It  served  you  well  that  night,"  said  Bernheim. 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  And  as  its  owner  always 
does ;  "  he  smiled — and  the  old  Aide  bowed — "  but 
there  is  no  Masque  to-night." 

"  Every  night,  now,  is  a  Masque  for  Lotzen — 
and  every  day,  too." 

"  Heaven,  man !  you  would  n't  have  me  wear  this 
constantly?  " 

"  No — not  in  bed ;  "  then  seriously — "  but  at  all 
other  times,  sir." 

Armand  pushed  the  vest  back  on  the  desk  and 
frowned. 

"  Has  it  come  to  this,  then — that  my  life  is  n't 
safe  here — nor  in  my  house,  nor  on  the  street!  Is 
this  civilization  or  savagery  ?  " 

Bernheim   shrugged  his    shoulders. 

"Neither,"  he  said,  "  neither— it 's  Hell.  It's 
always  Hell  where  Lotzen  plays.  Surely,  sir,  you 
have  not  forgot  the  past." 

"  No — no — but  that  was  a  Masque,  and  assassina- 
tion went  with  the  costumes  and  the  atmosphere ;  yet 


112  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

now,  in  Dornlitz  of  the  twentieth  century — I  can't 
bring  myself  to  believe  ....  why  don't 
you  threaten  me  with  poison  or  a  bomb?" 

"  Poison  is  possible,  but  not  a  bomb — it  is  not  neat 
enough  for  Lotzen." 

Armand  looked  at  him  in  puzzled  amusement. 

"  I  see,"  he  said,  "  I  see — he  murders  artistically 
— he  does  n't  like  a  mess." 

"  Just  so,   sir ;   and  the  most   artistic  and   least 

messy  is  a  neat  hole  through  the  heart 

You  will  wear  the  vest,  my  lord?  " 

The  Archduke's  glance  wandered  to  the  window — 
electric  cars  were  speeding  down  the  avenue — an 
automobile  whizzed  by — and  another — and  another. 

"  Look,"  said  he,  "  look !  is  n't  it  absurd  to  talk  of 
steel  vests !  " 

Bernheim  shook  his  head.  "  Lotzen  does  not  be- 
long yonder — he  is  a  remnant  of  the  Middle  Ages." 

"  Well,  I  'm  not ;  so  no  armor  for  me,  my  dear 
Bernheim — I  '11  keep  my  eyes  open  and  take  my 
chances.  I  don't  believe  the  crown  of  Valeria  will  be 
the  reward  of  an  assassin." 

Disappointment  shone  in  the  Aide's  eyes. 

"  I  'm  something  of  a  Fatalist,  myself,  sir,"  he 
said,  "  but  I  would  n't  play  with  a  tiger  after  I  had 
goaded  him  to  fury." 

Armand  smiled.  "  The  case  is  n't  exactly  par- 
allel." 

"  No — not  exactly : — the  tiger  might  not  kill  me." 


THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING    113 

The  Archduke  picked  up  the  letter  knife  and 
slowly  cut  lines  on  the  blotter. 

"  You  need  not  go  into  the  tiger's  cage,"  he  re- 
marked. 

"  There  is  n't  any  cage — the  beast  is  at  large." 

"  Nonsense,  Colonel ;  this  fellow  Lotzen  has  got 
on  your  nerves.  I  thought  you  had  n't  any." 

"  The  pity  of  it  is,  sir,  that  he  has  n't  got  on 
yours." 

"  And  when  he  does,"  said  Armand  kindly,  "  will 
be  time  enough  for  the  chain-mail." 

Bernheim  took  the  vest  and  deliberately  laid  it  on 
the  blotter. 

"  For  the  sake  of  those  who  love  you,  my  lord," 
he  said — "  and  " — turning  to  a  picture  of  the  Prin- 
cess, which  hung  on  the  opposite  wall,  and  saluting 
— "  for  her  whom  we  all  serve." 

The  Archduke  looked  at  the  picture  in  silence  for 
a  moment. 

"  Send  the  vest  to  the  Epsau,"  he  said ;  "  I  will 
wear  it — sometimes." 

And  Bernheim  knew  he  had  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
sometimes — though  as  even  that  was  more  than  he 
had  dared  to  hope  for,  he  was  well  content. 

The  Archduke  and  the  American  Ambassador  met 
by  appointment  at  the  outer  gate  of  the  City,  and 
as  the  former  had  been  delayed,  they  rode  at  speed 
to  the  Summer  Palace.  It  was  the  first  time  they 
had  been  together,  informally,  since  the  King's 
death,  but  beyond  the  usual  friendly  greeting  and 
8 


114  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

an  occasional  word  en  route  there  was  no  conversa- 
tion. There  was  much  that  Armand  wished  to  dis- 
cuss with  his  friend,  but  this  was  not  the  place  for  it 
— it  needed  a  quiet  room  and  the  other  aids  to  seri- 
ous consultation. 

."  I  want  a  word  with  you,  Dick,  before  you  go 
back  to  town,"  he  remarked,  as  they  dismounted. 

And  Courtney  nodded  comprehendingly. 

"  As  many  as  you  wish,  my  boy,"  he  said. 

But  the  Princess  also  wanted  a  word  with  Court- 
ney ;  she  knew  his  keen  insight  into  motives  and  men ; 
his  calm  judicialness  of  judgment;  his  critical  analy- 
sis of  facts,  and,  most  important  of  all,  his  influence 
with  Armand,  and  she  desired  his  counsel  and  his 
aid.  She  had  not  forgot  the  part  he  had  played  in 
the  recent  past ;  that  but  for  him  there  would  be  no 
Archduke  Armand;  that,  indeed,  it  was  this  quiet 
diplomat  whom  she  had  to  thank  for  the  happiest 
days  of  her  life,  and  the  happy  prospect  for  the  days 
to  come;  and,  but  for  whom,  there  would  be  to  her 
only  the  memory  of  that  ride  in  the  forest  with  the 
American  Captain  Smith ;  and  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen 
would  be  King;  and  she — she  might  even  be  his 
Queen — and  have  yet  to  learn  his  vileness  and  his 
villainy. 

All  this  she  knew,  and  her  heart  warmed  to  Court- 
ney as  now  it  warmed  to  none  other  save  Armand 
himself.  And  that  very  morning,  as  the  two  men 
crossed  the  terrace  and  came  toward  them,  she  had 
told  Lady  Helen  Radnor,  with  the  smiling  frankness 


THE  ARMISTICE  OF  MOURNING    115 

of  a  comrade,  that  if  she  sent  this  man  away,  no  act 
in  all  her  life  would  equal  it  in  folly;  then  without 
waiting  for  an  answer  she  had  gone  to  greet  her 
guests. 

Now,  when  the  luncheon  was  ended,  she  dismissed 
the  servants  and  turned  to  Courtney. 

"  Will  you  do  something  for  Armand  ? "  she 
asked. 

"  Don't  you  think  I  have  already  done  him  service 
enough?  "  he  said,  looking  at  her  with  a  significant 
smile — "  more  than  he  deserves  or  can  ever  appre- 
ciate." 

"  Well,  may  be  you  have,"  she  smiled,  catching  his 
humor,  "  so  do  this  for  me — help  me  to  make  him 
King." 

"  What  can  I  do?  "  he  asked. 

She  leaned  a  bit  nearer.  "  Keep  him  firm  for  his 
birthright ;  don't  let  him  fling  it  aside  in  disgust,  if 
the  struggle  drags  out,  for  long." 

Courtney  nodded.  "  I  understand,"  he  said ;  "  but 
you  need  have  no  concern;  you  yourself  will  keep 
him  firm — it 's  the  only  way  he  can  make  you 
Queen."  He  paused  and  tapped  his  cigarette  medi- 
tatively against  his  glass.  "  You  think  there  is  n't 
any  doubt  as  to  the  decree  in  his  favor  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  None — absolutely  none." 

"  Then  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  find  the  Book — that 
should  n't  be  so  very  difficult." 

"  True  enough ;  it  should  n't — but  it  will  be." 

"  You  seem  very  positive,"  he  said. 


116  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  A  woman's  intuition." 

Courtney  smiled.     "  Which  is  n't  infallible." 

"  Will  you  try  to  prove  that?  "  she  asked.  "  Will 
you  help  us  find  the  Book?  "  And  without  waiting 
for  his  answer  she  turned  to  the  Archduke.  "  Ar- 
mand,"  she  said,  "  tell  Mr.  Courtney  what  we  know 
as  to  the  Laws ;  I  want  his  advice." 

Armand  laughed.  "  I  fancy  he  already  knows  it, 
my  dear — it 's  his  business  to  know  things." 

"  And  it 's  also  particularly  his  business,"  she 
retorted,  "  never  to  betray  that  he  knows — therefore, 
we  must  tell  him." 

"  Bear  with  him,  Your  Highness,"  said  Courtney 

— "  I  assure  you  he  will  learn  in  time 

Meanwhile,  Monsieur  le  Prince,  I  'm  all  attention." 

Armand  leaned  over  to  Lady  Helen.  "  His  man- 
ners are  rather  crass,"  he  remarked,  in  a  confidential 
whisper,  "  but  he  really  means  well."  Then  he 
pushed  the  cigarettes  across  to  Courtney. 

"  Take  a  fresh  one,  old  chap ;  the  story  may  be  a 
bit  long." 


VIII 

INFERENCE  OR  FACT 

THROUGH  the  story  Courtney  sat  with  half  closed 
eyes,  pulling  at  his  gray  imperial,  the  unlighted 
cigarette  between  his  lips.  With  the  main  facts  he 
was  already  familiar,  as  was  every  Embassy  in 
Dornlitz,  but  much  of  the  small  details  were  new  to 
him ;  and  at  the  end,  for  a  while,  he  was  silent,  fitting 
the  incidents  together  in  his  mind. 

"  Do  you  care  to  tell  me  what  the  police  make  of 
it?"  he  asked. 

"  Nothing,  as  usual,"  Armand  answered.  "  Their 
intelligence  does  n't  run  beyond  a  hidden  panel,  and 
sounding  every  wall  and  floor  in  the  Palace;  they 
scorn  any  theory  but  that  His  Majesty  concealed 
the  Book." 

"  Which  is  perfectly  absurd,"  Dehra  added ; 
"  why  should  he  conceal  it,  with  the  box  and  the 
vault  at  hand?  " 

"  Why  don't  you  make  them  take  another  lead  ?  " 
Lady  Helen  asked. 

"  Because  I'm  sick  of  them  and  their  ways. — I've 
sent  them  away — and  away  they  stay;  in  another 
day  there  wouldn't  have  been  a  wall  in  the  Palace." 

"  She  told  the  officer  in  charge  the  only  way 
he  could  ever  find  the  Book  was  not  to  search  for 

117 


118  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

it,"  Armand  laughed.    "  And  then  gave  him  a  grade 
in  rank  to  salve  the  words." 

"  Don't  interrupt,  sir !  "  the  Princess  exclaimed. 
"  And  remember  I  can't  give  you  a  grade." 

"  Was  any  one  with  the  King  after  you  left  him 
that  night  ?  "  Courtney  asked. 

"  Only  Adolph,  the  valet,"  Dehra  replied  "  I'm 
quite  sure  he  would  receive  no  one  at  that  hour." 

"  And  what  did  Adolph  say  as  to  the  Book?  " 

"  That  he  had  n't  seen  it  for  four  days  prior  to 
Frederick's  death,"  said  Armand. 

"  Who  told  you  that? "  the  Princess  asked 
quickly. 

"  He  told  the  Council." 

"  Then  he  deliberately  deceived  you ;  he  saw 
it  the  night  I  did — the  last  night; — he  came  to 
the  door  just  after  the  King  spoke  of  Armand's 
decree." 

Courtney  struck  a  match  and  carefully  lit  the 
cigarette. 

"  Where  is  Adolph?  "  he  asked. 

"  He  has  gone  back  to  France,  I  think." 

Courtney  sent  a  quick,  inquiring  look  at  Armand, 
which  the  latter  missed,  having  turned  toward  Lady 
Helen. 

"  Oh,  I  remember,"  he  replied ;  "  there  was  a 
stray  line  about  him  in  the  paper — grief  and  so 
forth.  At  the  time,  I  inferred  he  had  been  banished 
by  the  police,  for  some  reason." 

"We  can  have  him  back,"  she  interjected. 


INFERENCE  OR  FACT  119 

The  Archduke  looked  around.  "  Adolph  is  dead," 
he  said.  "  His  body  was  found  behind  the  hedge 
under  the  King's  library  windows  three  days  after 
Frederick's  demise." 

"  But  his  return  to  France  ?  "  Dehra  exclaimed. 

"  A  fiction  of  your  police,  doubtless,"  said  Court- 
ney dryly ;  "  they  are  very  clever He 

was — killed,  of  course  ?  " 

"  In  the  Park,  the  night  the  King  died ;  a  dagger 
wound  in  the  heart,"  the  Archduke  explained. 

"  Do  you  know  that  to  be  the  fact ;  or  is  it  the 
police  theory?  " 

"  /  don't  know  anything — indeed,  it  was  only 
yesterday  I  learned  of  it  and  sent  for  the  papers 
in  the  case." 

"  And  the — killer,  I  assume,  has  not  been  appre- 
hended." 

"  Naturally  not,"  said  Armand ;  and  proceeded 
to  explain  the  matter  as  the  police  viewed  it. 

"  What  do  you  think,  now?  "  Dehra  demanded, 
at  the  end. 

A  bit  of  a  smile  crept  into  Courtney's  face. 

"  I  think,"  he  said,  "  that  the  only  circumstance 
which  relieves  the  police  from  utter  imbecility  is 
their  not  knowing  that  the  valet  had  lied  to  the 
Royal  Council  as  to  the  Book." 

The  Princess'  finger  tips  began  to  tap  the  table, 
and  the  little  wrinkle  showed  between  her  eyes. 

"  Don't,  my  dear,  don't,"  laughed  Armand ;  "  you 
can't  give  the  entire  Bureau  a  grade  in  rank— ^nd 


120  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

besides,  they  are  not  to  blame.  I  called  the  Chief 
down  hard  yesterday,  only  to  have  him  tell  me  it 
was  the  ancient  and  rigid  custom  never,  except  by 
special  order,  to  investigate  a  crime  that  touched 
the  royal  household,  nor  to  follow  any  clue  which 
led  inside  the  Palace.  And  I  apologized — and  in- 
stantly abolished  the  custom." 

"  They  were  specially  ordered  to  search  for  the 
Book  of  Laws,"  the  Princess  insisted ;  "  would  n't 
that  lead  them  to  Adolph?  " 

"  Under  their  theory  Adolph  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  Book,"  said  Courtney. 

"  Just  so,"  the  Archduke  remarked ;  "  and  be- 
tween their  rotten  theories  and  customs  the  business 
has  been  sadly  bungled." 

"  Their  fatal  fallacy,"  said  Courtney,  "  was,  it 
seems  to  me,  in  assuming  that  no  one  but  His 
Majesty  and  Her  Highness  could  open  the  vault. — I 
have  no  doubt  the  valet  had  discovered  the  combi- 
nation." 

"  But  the  box,"  Dehra  objected;  "  it  was  locked 
when  I  got  it,  and  Adolph  could  not  have  had  the 
key." 

"  He  might  have  had  a  duplicate." 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Armand ;  "  it  is  a  trick  lock 
with  a  most  complicated  arrangement,  and  to  make 
a  duplicate  would  have  required  the  original  key." 

"  Well,  however  that  may  be  is  not  essential," 
said  Courtney ;  "  the  fact  remains  that,  between 
eleven  o'clock  of  one  night  and  ten  o'clock  of  the 


INFERENCE  OR  FACT  121 

second  day  thereafter,  the  Book  disappeared;  and 
the  last  time  it  was  seen,  to  our  knowledge,  it  was 
lying  under  the  King's  own  hand,  on  the  table 
in  his  library,  with  the  open  box  beside  it;  and 
that  the  latter  was  found,  closed  and  locked  and 
empty,  in  its  place  in  the  vault,  while  the  most 
thorough  search  for  the  Book  has  been  ineffectual 
except,  it  seems,  to  prove  that  it  is  not  in  the 
Palace.  We  can  safely  assume  that  His  Majesty 
did  not  hide  it;  hence  he  returned  it  to  its  place; 
and  whoever  took  it,  got  it  out  of  a  locked  box  in  a 
locked  vault.  For  this,  Adolph  had  the  best  oppor- 
tunity." 

"  But  what  possible  motive  ?  "  the  Princess  ex- 
claimed. 

Courtney  smiled.  "  If  I  could  tell  you  that,  we 
would  be  far  toward  finding  the  Book;  yet  he  had 
a  motive — his  lie  to  the  Council  proves  it." 

"  You  think  he  stole  the  Laws  ?  "  she  asked. 

Courtney  sent  a  smoke  cloud  shooting  upward 
and  watched  it  fade. 

"  I  think,"  said  he,  "  that  if  Adolph  did  n't  steal 
them,  he  knows  who  did;  his  lie  can  bear  no  other 
construction." 

"  And  his  death  ?  "  the  Archduke  asked. 

Courtney  watched  another  smoke  ring  and  made 
no  reply. 

"  Come,"  insisted  Armand ;    "  answer." 

The  other  shook  his  head. 

"  I  stop  with  the  lie,"  he  said.     "  Indeed,  I  can't 


122  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

get  beyond  it.  The  valet  would  have  but  one 
reason  for  stealing  the  Book — to  sell  it  to — Some- 
one, who  would  have  every  reason  to  conceal  or 
even  to  destroy  it.  Every  logical  inference  points 
to  this  Some-one;  and  yet,  for  once,  logic  seems 
to  be  at  fault." 

"  You  mean  the  Duke  of  Lotzcn  ?  "  said  the  Prin- 
cess. 

Courtney  smiled,  but  made  no  answer. 

"  Your  pardon,"  she  said,  "  but  at  least  you  can 
tell  us  why  the  logic  is  at  fault." 

"  Because,"  said  he,  "  the  actual  facts  arc  other- 
wise. As  Armand  knows,  I  like  to  play  with 
mystery,  and  when  I  may  help  a  friend  I  like  it 
all  the  more.  The  logical  solution  of  the  matter, 
in  view  of  the  decree,  is  a  knowing  valet,  and  a 
ready  buyer;  yet  the  latter  was  not  in  Dornlitz, 
when  the  Book  was  stolen,  nor  has  my  most  careful 
investigation  disclosed  any  communication,  by 
Adolph,  with  him  or  his  friends.  On  the  contrary, 
the  evidence  is  absolutely  conclusive  against  it; 
and  hence  acquits  the  Some-one  of  having  had  any 
hand  in  the  theft." 

"  You  knew,  then,  of  Adolph's  death?  "  Armand 
asked. 

"  Yes — though  not  all  the  details  as  you  related 
them." 

The  Archduke  smiled;  there  were  very  few 
details  missed  when  Courtney  started  an  investiga- 
tion. 


INFERENCE  OR  FACT  123 

"  Your  argument,  Richard,"  he  said,  "  is  based 
upon  the  hypothesis  that  Adolph  is  the  thief,  which 
appears  most  probable;  yet  did  your  examination 
suggest  no  other  solution?  " 

"  Absolutely  none — and,  more  peculiar  still,  I 
was  unable  to  find  the  slightest  trace  of  the  valet 
outside  the  Palace,  between  the  time  he  left  the 
Council  and  the  discovery  of  his  dead  body  behind 
the  hedge — though  you  and  Her  Highness  saw 
him  in  the  library  after  the  Council  adjourned." 

"  And  that  is  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him,"  said 
Dehra. 

"  And  more  than  that,"  Armand  added,  "  it's 
the  last  time  any  one  saw  him  in  the  Palace ;  I  had 
that  matter  looked  into  yesterday.  The  Council  rose 
about  noon  and  afterward  not  a  servant  nor  soldier 
so  much  as  laid  eyes  on  him." 

"  Is  n't  there  something  particularly  significant 
in  the  place  where  Adolph  was  found?  "  the  Prin- 
cess asked.  "  Might  n't  he  have  been  killed  in  the 
library  and  then,  from  the  window,  the  body 
dropped  behind  the  hedge  ?  " 

Courtney's  hand  went  to  his  imperial  reflectively. 

"  A  very  reasonable  and  a  very  likely  explana- 
tion," he  said ;  "  and  the  nature  of  the  wound 
supports  it;  it  was  a  noiseless  assassination; — but, 
again,  that  eliminates  the  Some-one." 

"  Very  true,"  said  the  Archduke ;  "  he  left  the 
Council  before  it  adjourned,  to  return  at  once  to 
town." 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


"  But  did  he  return  at  once  ?  "  Dehra  persisted. 
"  Might  n't  he  have  remained  and  killed  Adolph  — 
some  how,  some  way  —  I  don't  know,  but  might  n't 
he?" 

Armand  shook  his  head.  "  I  think  not,"  he 
said.  "  I  looked  into  that  too,  and  there  seems  to 
be  no  doubt  Lotzen  was  in  Dornlitz  before  one 
o'clock  ;  and  every  moment  of  his  time,  until  Adolph 
was  found,  has  been  accounted  for;  so,  even  assum- 
ing he  didn't  leave  the  Palace  immediately,  he 
would  have  had  to  kill  the  valet  within  half  an 
hour  after  we  saw  him  in  the  library;  and  that, 
under  all  the  conditions,  is  utterly  incredible." 

"  Nothing's  incredible  where  Lotzen  is  con- 
cerned," she  answered.  "  So  let  us  assume  he  did 
kill  Adolph,  in  the  King's  library,  during  that  very 
half  hour  between  noon  and  twelve-thirty,  and 
answer  me  this  :  Why  did  he  kill  him  ?  " 

"  Either  to  get  the  Book  of  Laws  or  because 
Adolph  knew  too  much  concerning  it,"  said  Armand, 
smiling  at  her  earnestness. 

"  Exactly  ;  and,  therefore,  Lotzen  either  has  the 
Book  or  he  knows  where  it  is.  ...  Am  I  not 
right?  "  she  demanded,  turning  to  Courtney. 

"  Undoubtedly,  Your  Highness  —  according  to 
your  premises." 

"  You  don't  admit  the  premises  ?  " 

"  I  can't  —  they  are  too  improbable  —  and  the 
facts  are  against  them." 

"Oh,   facts!"   she  exclaimed,   "facts!     I  don't 


INFERENCE  OR  FACT  125 

care  a  rap  for  facts.  Lotzen  killed  Adolph  and 
Lotzen  has  the  Book." 

Courtney  looked  at  her  curiously — the  idea  was 
preposterous,  naturally,  but  the  very  arbitrariness 
of  her  conclusions  was  softened  by  her  earnestness 
and  evident  faith  in  their  truth.  It  was,  of  course, 
just  another  case  of  woman's  intuition,  that  begged 
every  question  and  tore  logic  into  tatters;  yet, 
sometimes,  he  had  known  it  to  guess  truly,  despite 
the  most  adverse  facts — might  it  be  that  here  was 
just  another  such  guess? 

The  table  stood  back  a  little  way  among  the 
trees,  and  was  hidden  from  the  Palace  by  the  hedge 
of  rhododendron,  that  flanked  the  roadway  where  it 
swept  around  the  great  marble  pergola;  and  so 
they  did  not  see  the  man  in  undress  cavalry  uniform, 
who  came  slowly  along  the  terrace,  and,  descending 
the  steps,  took  the  path  leading  to  the  sun-dial. 
At  it  he  paused,  with  desultory  interest  seemingly, 
to ,  read  the  shadow ;  bending  over,  the  while,  to 
blow  away  the  dust. 

As  he  did  so,  the  Princess  saw  him,  through  a 
rift  in  the  hedge.  First  she  frowned,  then  a  quiz- 
zical smile  settled  on  her  lips,  and  she  glanced  again 
at  Courtney. 

"  Do  you  still  doubt  ?  "  she  asked. 

Courtney,  preoccupied,  looked  at  her  a  moment 
without  replying. 

"  Yes,"  he  said ;  "  being  a  man  and  intuition- 
less,  I  still  must  doubt." 


126  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

At  that  moment,  the  officer  passed  the  hedge  and 
they  all  saw  him. 

*'  Cousin  !  "  the  Princess  called, — "  cousin  !  " 

The  Duke  of  Lotzen  faced  about  sharply,  then 
doffed  cap  and  approached. 

"  Your  Highness  spoke  ?  "  he  said,  bowing. 

Dehra  leaned  on  the  table,  her  chin  in  her  hand, 
and  studied  him  a  bit,  while  the  others  wondered, 
and  Armand's  anger  rose. 

"  Cousin,"  she  said,  "  I  have  just  asserted  that 
you  killed  Adolph  and  have  the  Book  of  Laws — is 
it  not  the  truth?" 

Lady  Helen  gasped;  Armand  half  rose  from 
his  chair;  even  Courtney's  studied  immobility  of 
countenance  was  not  impervious  to  his  surprise. 

The  Duke  alone  met  the  situation  with  perfect 
imperturbability.  He  neither  started,  frowned,  nor 
changed  expression  in  the  slightest;  the  pleasant 
smile,  that  was  on  his  lips,  lingered  unabated,  while 
the  hand  that  rested  on  his  sword  hilt  was  as  steady 
as  the  cold,  blue  eyes  which  gave  back  the  Princess* 
gaze.  Then,  gradually,  the  smile  broadened,  creep- 
ing slowly  upward,  until  it  touched  the  cold  blue 
eyes,  though  warming  them  not  a  whit;  presently, 
he  laughed,  gently,  and  with  just  a  trace  of  jeer. 

"  It  is  not  for  a  subject  to  contradict  the  Regent 
of  Valeria,"  he  said — and  with  a  bow  and  a  salute 
he  turned  languidly  away. 

And  the  Princess  did  not  stop  him,  but  in  silence, 
chin  still  on  hand,  she  watched  him  out  of  sight. 


IX 

THE    RECKLESS    GAME 

THE  Princess  was  the  first  to  speak.  "  Tell  me, 
Your  Excellency,"  she  said,  "  do  you  admit  my 
premises,  now?  " 

"  Are  you,  yourself,  quite  as  sure  of  them,  as 
you  were?  "  he  asked. 

"  Sure ! — sure !  I'm  absolutely  sure — I  saw  the 
truth  in  his  eyes — did  n't  you,  Armand  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  latter,  "  I  did  n't — I  never  saw 
truth  anywhere  in  Lotzen." 

"  If  he  were  innocent,  why  should  he  plead 
guilty?  "  she  demanded. 

"  And  if  guilty,  why  should  he  admit  it  ?  "  the 
Archduke  asked. 

"  Because  in  this  case  the  truth  is  more  mis- 
leading than  a  lie — he  had  no  notion  we  would  be- 
lieve him." 

"  He  is  a  very  extraordinary  man,"  observed 
Courtney ;  "  his  mental  processes  are  beyond  belief. 
Your  question  was  the  most  amazing  I  ever  heard, 
and  should  have  been  instantly  decisive  of  his  guilt 
or  innocence;  instead,  it  has  only  clouded  the 
matter  deeper  for  you  and  cleared  it  completely  for 
him.  Your  cards  are  exposed — his  are  still  stacked." 

"  They  are  not  stacked  to  me,"  said  Dehra ;  "  he 
is  guilty." 

127 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


"  Then,  in  that  aspect,  he  has  deliberately  asked 
you  what  you  're  going  to  do  about  it." 

"  I  'm  going  to  get  the  Book  —  for  Adolph  I 
don't  care  —  I  'm  glad  he  killed  the  little  beast." 

"  And  how,"  said  Armand,  "  are  we  to  get  the 
Book?  No  ordinary  means  will  suffice.  Imprison- 
ment would  only  make  a  martyr  of  him  and 
strengthen  him  enormously  with  the  Nobles  and  the 
people;  and  banishment  is  absurd;  he  may  be  the 
King." 

"  If  he  has  the  Book,  he  would  welcome  banish- 
ment," said  Courtney  ;  "  it  would  relieve  him  of 
your  espionage.  But,  Your  Highness,  let  me  ask, 
why  should  he  have  it  now?  Armand  admitted 
to  the  Council  he  is  ineligible  without  King  Fred- 
erick's decree,  so  why  would  Lotzen  preserve  that 
decree?  The  Book  is  not  essential  to  his  title." 

The  Princess  shook  her  head  incredulously. 
"  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  is  a  knave  but  I  won't  be- 
lieve that  of  him  .....  A  Dalberg  destroy 
the  Dalberg  Lawsi  Inconceivable!  —  oh,  incon- 
ceivable !  " 

"  So,  between  the  Crown  of  Valeria  and  the  Book 
of  Laws,  you  think  he  would  chose  the  latter;  and 
hand  the  Crown  to  Armand  ?  " 

"  He  would  conceal  the  Laws  —  he  would  n't  de- 
stroy them,"  she  insisted. 

The  Archduke  reached  over  and  took  her  hand. 

"  Little  woman,"  he  said,  "  your  mistake  is  in 
rating  Lotzen  a  Dalberg  —  he  is  n't  ;  he  's  a  vicious 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  129 

mongrel;  if  he  had  the  Book,  you  can  rest  assured 
he  destroyed  it." 

But  she  shook  her  head. 

"  Your  facts  proved  him  innocent ;"  she  smiled, 
"  and  so  they  don't  appeal  to  me  to-day.  I  'm 
as  sure  he  won't  destroy  the  Laws  as  I  am  that  he 
killed  Adolph;  what  troubles  me  is  how  to  recover 
them." 

"  We  have   a  year " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  wait  a  year  for  your  crown- 
ing, Sire,"  she  broke  in.  "  Nor  half  a  year, 
either." 

He  smiled  indulgently,  and  pressing  lightly  the 
small  fingers  that  still  lay  in  his. 

"  The  little  Kingmaker,"  he  laughed. 

"  No,  no ! "  she  said,  "  not  I ;  Mr.  Courtney  is 
your  Warwick  and  Valeria's  benefactor — he  saved 
us  from  Lotzen." 

"  Then,  your  work  is  not  finished,  old  man,"  the 
Archduke  remarked ;  "  there  's  a  lot  of  saving  to  be 
done,  I  fear." 

Courtney  nodded  rather  gravely;  he  was  quite 
of  the  same  mind. 

"  Warwick  will  hold  to  the  work,"  he  answered, 
"  and  aid  you  all  he  may ;  but,  for  the  immediate 
present,  I  would  advise  that  we  sit  tight  and  give 
the  enemy  a  chance  to  blunder.  And  in  the  mean- 
time, Armand,  I  suggest  you  change  the  combina- 
tions on  all  the  vaults  here,  and  at  the  Castle." 

"  It  was  done  ten  days  ago." 
9 


130  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  The  Book  is  n't  in  any  vault,"  the  Princess 
remarked ;  "  they  all  have  been  thoroughly 
searched." 

"  But  something  else  may  be  in  them,  which 
will  be  needed — one  can  never  know,"  the  Am- 
bassador answered.  "  Leastwise,  it  won't  hamper 
us,  and  may  hamper  Lotzen — or  some  one." 

"  It 's  only  a  wise  precaution,"  the  Archduke 
added — "  the  vault  in  the  King's  library,  both  here 
and  at  the  Castle,  is  filled  with  records  and  other 
valuables,  and  upon  both  I  changed  the  combina- 
tions myself — I  did  n't  trust  it  to  a  workman,  who 
could  be  found  and  bribed." 

And  it  was  this  change  of  combination  that  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen  had  discovered  that  afternoon. 

At  the  Archduke's  firm  insistence,  Colonel 
Moore,  his  junior  Aide,  had  been  detached  from  his 
staff  and  assigned  as  Adjutant  to  the  Regent;  and 
a  portion  of  the  King's  suite,  including  his  library, 
allotted  to  him  for  quarters.  This,  also,  was  at 
the  Archduke's  personal  order — he,  himself,  might 
not  be  there  always  to  guard  Dehra,  so  he  gave 
her  the  gallant  Irishman,  with  the  best  sword  in 
the  Kingdom  and  a  heart  as  true  as  his  sword. 
Lotzen's  bravos  and  his  blandishment  would  be  alike 
powerless  against  him. 

And  the  Duke,  when  he  saw  the  order,  smiled 
in  quiet  satisfaction ;  and  Bigler  chuckled  and  read 
it  to  Rosen  at  the  Club — "  Thank  Heaven  we  shan't 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  131 

have  the  other  damned  foreigner  to  contend  with 
when  we  go  after  the  American,"  he  had  said. 

But  when  the  Duke  learned  who  occupied  the  li- 
brary, he  cursed  Moore  and  the  luck  that  had  put 
him  there — with  the  Book  in  the  vault,  and  to  be 
got,  and  none  but  him  to  get  it.  For  no  one,  not 
even  his  closest  associates,  might  know  he  had 
found  it — he  could  not  trust  even  their  loyalty 
against  the  fetish  of  the  Laws.  So  it  was  for  him 
alone  to  obtain  it;  and  now  the  task — delicate 
enough  at  best — had  become  almost  impossible  for 
one  man.  Under  every  precedent,  the  King's 
suite  should  have  remained  unoccupied,  awaiting 
his  successor;  but,  instead,  this  Irishman;  this  fel- 
low with  the  quickest  sword  and  surest  eye  in  the 
Army;  this  devoted  follower  of  the  American,  and, 
after  him,  the  one  man  in  Valeria  whom  he  hated 
the  fiercest  and  feared  even  more;  he  was — though 
thank  God  he  did  not  know  it ! — guarding  the  Book 
for  his  master. 

It  was,  in  truth,  the  first  faint  frown  of  his 
Goddess,  but  Lotzen  was  too  good  a  gambler  to 
flout  her  at  the  loss  of  a  single  turn.  It  meant 
either  a  little  more  careful  play  or  a  little  more 
recklessness.  And,  on  the  whole,  the  recklessness 
was  rather  more  appealing  than  the  care.  If  he 
could  not  easily  recover  the  Book,  he  could,  at 
least,  adventure  leaving  it  where  it  was — and  let 
the  Regent's  Adjutant  guard  it  for  him,  too. 
And  he  smiled  his  cold  smile — and  longed  to  make 


132  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

a  second  Adolph  of  the  Irishman,  knowing  well 
that  he,  skillful  fencer  though  he  was,  could  never 
reach  Moore's  heart  save  from  the  rear. 

And  that  day,  he  had  thought  to  take  a  recon- 
noissance,  and  he  had  come  to  the  Summer  Palace, 
trusting  for  an  opportunity  to  gain  admission  to 
the  library,  to  open  the  vault.  There  was  a  possi- 
bility that  the  King's  effects  had  been  removed  from 
it,  and  the  box  might  also  have  been  taken;  and, 
if  so,  it  might  be  lying  in  some  room,  quite  un- 
guarded. Yet  he  deluded  himself  little  on  that 
score;  the  chance  was  too  slight  even  to  consider 
seriously;  there  was  really  no  occasion  for  empty- 
ing the  vault;  on  the  contrary,  Moore's  presence 
was  the  very  best  reason  for  leaving  it  untouched. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  well  enough  to  make  sure. 

And  here  again  luck  bent  to  him.  As  he 
turned  the  corner  of  the  corridor  at  the  end 
farthest  from  the  King's  suite,  Colonel  Moore  came 
out  and  hurried  down  the  stairway  opposite,  with- 
out a  glance  aside. 

Lotzen  smiled,  and  went  on  to  the  library  door 
— and  smiled  still  more  broadly  when  he  saw  it  was 
open  wide.  Really,  the  thing  was  getting  too  easy ! 
He  stopped  and  tapped  lightly  on  the  jamb  with 
his  sword  hilt — then  stepped  in  and  glanced  quickly 
around.  The  shades  were  half  drawn,  but  there 
was  enough  light  for  him  to  see  that  the  room  was 
empty.  Going  swiftly  to  the  vault,  he  whirled  the 
knob  through  the  combination  that  Adolph  had 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  133 

given   him,   dropped   it   at  the   final   number   and 

seized  the  handle The  bolts  refused 

to  move.  With  a  frown,  he  spun  the  knob  again; 
and  again  they  stood  firm.  A  third  time  he  tried, 
carefully  and  slowly,  not  overrunning  the  marks  by 
the  shade  of  a  hair — and  still  the  bolts  stayed  fixed. 
With  a  muttered  curse  he  stepped  back,  and  from 
the  paper  in  his  pocket  verified  the  formula  he  had 
used — though  he  knew  he  had  made  no  mistake. 
.  .  .  .  Could  the  valet  have  lied — have  given 
him  a  wrong  combination — have  actually  played 
him  for  a  fool  to  his  very  face!  ....  Im- 
possible— quite  imposible — he  could  recognize  fear 
when  he  saw  it;  and  no  servant  ever  lied  adroitly 
under  such  terror  as  had  gripped  Adolph  at  that 
moment.  He  stared  at  the  vault  and  at  the  paper 
and,  then,  of  a  sudden,  he  understood 

— the  combination  had  been   changed 

Why — by  whom,  did  not  matter  now.  Enough, 
that  behind  that  iron  door  the  Book  was  surely 

lying,  and  he  powerless   to  obtain  it 

Well,  so  be  it — he  must  chance  the  risk ;  the  reckless 
game  had  been  forced  upon  him  by  his  enemies, 
and  he  would  play  it  out.  They  did  not  imagine 
the  Book  was  in  the  box — they  would  seek  it  else- 
where— and  the  American  would  lead  in  the  seeking 
— on — on — on  to  Lotzenia,  and  the  castle  on  the 
mountain,  high  above  the  foaming  Dreer — and 
then !  ....  A  fell  smile  crossed  his  face, 
and  his  eyes  narrowed  malevolently — there  would 


134  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

be  no  need  for  the  Book,  when  they  came  back  to 
Dornlitz. 

As  he  stepped  into  the  corridor,  the  door  opposite, 
in  the  Princess'  suite,  opened  and  Mademoiselle 
d'Essolde  came  out. 

"  Your  Highness ! "  she  said,  dropping  him  a  bit 
of  a  curtsy. 

"  My  lady !  "  he  answered,  bowing  over  her  hand ; 
then  motioned  behind  him.  "  Who  occupies  his 
Majesty's  apartments?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  Adjutant  to  Her  Royal  Highness,"  she 
answered,  knowing  well  he  knew. 

"  True,"  said  he ;  "I  quite  forgot.  Colonel 
Moore  has  pleasant  quarters,"  and  he  smiled. 

His  inference  was  too  evident  to  miss.  She  was 
of  the  Regent's  Household  and  Moore  was  her  most 
persistent  suitor.  She  made  no  pretense  to  conceal 
her  displeasure,  though  she  echoed  his  laugh. 

"  Yes,  very  pleasant,"  she  answered,  "  yet  they 
won't  be  his  for  long — he  but  holds  them  for 
another." 

"And  the  other?"  maliciously  driving  her  to 
the  choice  between  the  Archduke  and  himself. 

She  raised  her  eyebrows. 

"  There  could  be  but  one,  my  lord,"  she  answered, 
looking  at  him  with  calm  directness. 

He  laughed.  "  May  be  we  do  not  guess  alike ; 
and  I  fear  me,  when  my  other  comes,  the  dashing 
Colonel  will  have  to  make  a  far  move — beyond  the 
border." 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  135 

The  blue  eyes  snapped.  "  I  can  well  believe  Your 
Highness,"  she  retorted.  "  When  you  move  in, 
Colonel  Moore  would  scorn  to  stay  this  side  the 
border." 

Elise  d'Essolde  never  forgot  the  look  that  came 
in  Lotzen's  eyes.  It  was,  she  said  afterwards  to 
the  Regent,  as  though  he  had  actually  struck  her  in 
the  face.  And,  for  a  little  while,  he  did  not  speak. 
Then  as  she  drew  back  into  the  room,  he  bowed, 
his  hand  upon  his  heart. 

"  My  thanks,  my  lady,  my  thanks  for  your 
candor,"  his  voice  soft  and  very  kind — "  I  shall 
see  to  it  that  your  Colonel  does  not  go  alone." 

"  Small  danger,"  she  replied,  as  she  slowly  closed 
the  door,  "  Your  Highness  has  been  seeing  to  that 
with  fine  success,  these  many  years — au  revoir,  mon 
Prince"  and  the  latch  clicked  between  them. 

With  a  shrug,  the  Duke  turned  away.  What 
a  vixen  she  was! — and  how  very  sure  Dehra  must 
be  of  the  American's  succession,  when  one  of  her 
Household  would  venture  to  flout  Ferdinand  of 
Lotzen  to  his  face.  His  mouth  hardened.  Damn 
the  woman  who  played  with  statecraft — who  med- 
dled with  the  things  she  knew  nothing  of — who 
would  impose  a  foreigner  upon  an  ancient  King- 
dom, just  because  he  was  her  lover.  Damn  the 
whole  tribe — they  were  fit  only  to  play  with 
clothes,  and  to  serve  man's  idle  moment 

The  rattle  of  a  sword  and  click  of  spurs  sounded 


136  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

on  the  stairway,  and  the  Regent's  Adjutant  turned 
the  corner. 

"  Ah,  Colonel,  well  met ! "  said  Lotzen  briskly, 
as  Moore  came  to  attention  and  salute ;  "  I  took 
the  liberty,  as  I  passed  your  quarters,  of  looking 
at  His  late  Majesty's  portrait;  I  wish  to  have  a 
copy  made — the  door  was  open,  so  I  assumed  I 
might  go  in,"  and  with  a  pleasant  smile  and  nod 
he  passed  on — then  stopped.  "  My  congratulations 
on  your  promotion — though  as  the  smartest  sol- 
dier in  the  army  it  belonged  to  you." 

Moore  looked  after  him  thoughtfully. 

"  What  particularly  fine  bit  of  deviltry  are  you 
up  to  now,"  he  muttered ;  "  and  what  were  you 
really  doing  in  the  library  ?  " 

Half  way  down  the  corridor  Moore  met  Elise 
d'Essolde. 

"  Whither  away,  my  lady,  whither  away  ?  "  he 
asked,  sweeping  the  floor  with  his  cap. 

"  I  'm  not  your  lady,"  she  answered,  making 
to  pass  by,  but  smiling  sidelong  at  him. 

"  Egad,  I  wish  you  would  n't  tell  me  that  so 
often — have  some  regard  for  my  poor  heart." 

She  tossed  her  head.  "  Your  heart,  indeed ! 
which  heart?  An  Irishman  has  a  hundred  and  a 
different  girl  for  every  one." 

"  This  Irishman  has  a  million  hearts — and  the 
same  girl  for  them  all." 

She  put  the  tip  of  her  parasol  to  the  wall,  and 
leaned  lightly  against  it. 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  137 

"  And  how  many  hearts  has  she  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  shook  his  head  sadly.  **  None — none — not 
the  faintest  trace  of  one." 

She  bent  further  over,   and  tightened  the  bow 
of  blue  ribbon  on  the  staff. 
. "  May  be  you  're  not  the  one  to  find  it,"  she 

smiled — "  another  man "   and  the  merry   eyes 

glinted  gaily  through  the  long  lashes. 

"  Oh,  I  'm  the  man — and  she  knows  it." 

A  little  laugh  rippled  forth — "  And  does  she 
know,  also,  your  stupendous  self  sufficiency  ?  " 

"  Yes,  she  knows  that,  too — and  likes  me  just 
the  same." 

"  Which   would    seem   to    be    very    little — as    it 

should  be My  parasol  if  you  please, 

I  'm  going." 

He  kept  his  hold. 

"You  little  witch,"  he  said;  "I  don't  know 
why  I  let  you  walk  upon  me  so." 

The  saucy  mouth  drooped  at  the  corners.   "  Nor  I 

why  I  walk — the  way  is  surely  very  stony 

My  parasol,  I  said." 

He  glanced  up  and  down  the  corridor. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said  seriously,  "  I  believe 
that  hat  is  so  big  I  could  kiss  you,  and  no  one 
see  us." 

She   dropped  the  sun-shade  and  sprang  back. 

"  Yes,  I  believe  you  could — and  I  believe  you 
actually  would — but  you  shan't." 


138  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

He  opened  the  parasol,  and  drew  the  circle  close 
behind  his  head. 

"  It 's  not  quite  so  large  as  your  hat,"  he  went 
on,  "  but  I  think,  if  you  don't  struggle  too  much, 
I  can  manage  to  hold  it  properly." 

He  went  slowly  toward  her — she  retreated. 

"  Come,"  she  commanded ;...."  cease 
this  foolishness  ....  my  parasol;  ...  ^ 
I  'm  going  .  .  .  . " 

He  did  not  answer. 

"  Ralph,"   she  exclaimed,  "  are  you  crazy ! " 

He  shook  his  head  and  came  on. 

She  was  on  the  stairway  now — a  glance: — no 
one  was  below  her.  She  lifted  her  skirts  with  both 
hands,  and  backed  down  the  steps,  smiling  up  at 
him  the  while,  tantalizingly. 

"  Come  on,"  she  said,  as  he  halted  at  the  top ; 
"  I  need  the  parasol ;  come  on." 

"You  little  devil,"  he  laughed ;"  You '11  tempt 

me  once  too  often Here,   take  your 

sunshade — I  may  have  need  of  it  another  time." 

"  Merci — amant,  merci,"  she  inflected  softly, 
then  flung  him  a  kiss  from  her  finger  tips — "  and 
you  take  that — I  won't  need  it  another  time — 
and,  if  I  do,  I  've  others." 

"  Many  others  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  faced  about,  and  raising  the  parasol  swung 
it  between  them. 

"  A  million — for  your  hearts,"  she  answered,  and 
ran  quickly  down  the  steps. 


THE  RECKLESS  GAME  139 

Meanwhile  the  Duke  of  Lotzen,  passing  along 
the  lower  corridor,  had  caught,  in  a  mirror,  the 
reflection  of  the  scene  on  the  stairs,  and  had  paused 
to  watch  it. 

"  A  pretty  picture,  Mademoiselle ;  truly,  a  pretty 
picture,"  he  said,  as  they  met ;  "  and  most  charm- 
ing from  the  rear — and  below — oh!  most  charm- 
ing." 

Her  cheeks  and  brow  went  red  as  flame,  as  she 
caught  his  meaning. 

"  You  vile  peeper,"  she  exclaimed ;  "  doubtless, 
you  're  an  experienced  judge,"  and  dropping  the 
parasol  in  his  face,  nor  caring  that  the  silk  struck 
him,  she  hurried  by. 

The  Duke  looked  after  her  contemplatively. 
Really,  this  girl  was  worth  while — he  must  take 
a  hand  in  the  Irishman's  game — that  hair,  those 
eyes,  that  walk,  that  figure — oh,  decidedly,  she  was 
quite  worth  while. 

With  an  evil  little  laugh,  he  put  her  out  of  his 
mind,  for  the  moment,  and  turned  toward  the  ter- 
race and  to  business.  He  had  learned  of  the  al- 
fresco luncheon  near  the  pergola,  and  he  appre- 
ciated that  there  was  the  place  to  make  the  first 
move  in  his  new  plot. 

Yet  when,  from  the  sun-dial,  as  he  feigned  to 
study  it,  he  saw  the  Princess,  through  the  rhodo- 
dendrons— with  the  American  across  the  table  from 
her,  where  he  himself  ought  to  have  been;  and 
watched  her  lavish  upon  Armand  the  adorable  smile 


140  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

that  should  have  been  his;  and  knew,  afresh,  that, 
come  what  may,  the  glorious  woman  yonder  was 
lost  to  him  forever — his  anger  welled  so  high  he 
dared  not  risk  a  meeting,  lest  in  his  rage  he  wreck 
his  cause  completely.  So  he  braced  his  shoulders 
against  the  fierce  desire  that  tugged  him  toward 
them,  and  went  on,  giving  no  glance  aside. 

Then  the  Princess  called  him;  and  when  the 
only  voice  able,  hitherto,  to  touch  a  soft  chord  in 
his  heart,  struck  now  a  jarring  dissonance,  the 
fury  passed;  and  again  he  was  the  man  of  cold, 
calm  hate  and  ruthless  purpose.  So  he  turned 
aside,  and  to  his  enemies — her  and  the  foreigner — 
deliberating  how  to  make  his  play  quickly,  yet 
naturally  and  with  seeming  inadvertence.  The 
faintest  blunder  would  be  fatal  with  Courtney 
watching;  Armand  he  despised. 

And  at  Dehra's  sudden  question,  he  had  almost 
laughed  aloud — was  it  always  to  be  so  easy !  But 
he  bound  his  face  to  his  part,  and  made  his  answer, 
and  went  his  way;  whistling  softly,  and  all  un- 
knowingly, a  little  song,  that  a  slender,  sinuous 
woman,  with  raven  hair  and  dead-white  cheek,  had 
sung  to  him  in  the  North. 

And  when,  presently,  it  came  to  him  whose  the 
song  was,  and  where  he  had  heard  it,  he  laughed 

gaily- 

"  An  omen  !  "  he  said  aloud,  "  an  omen !  On  to 
Lotzenia — and  a  dead  Archduke." 


X 

A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER, 

THE  Archduke  Armand  tossed  the  end  of  his 
fourth  cigar  into  the  grate  and  looked  at  the  big 
clock  in  the  corner.  It  was  only  a  bit  after  eleven, 
and  that  was,  he  knew  by  experience,  the  blush  of 
the  evening  at  the  American  Embassy,  where  there 
were  no  women-folk  to  repress  the  youngsters  nor 
to  necessitate  the  closing  of  the  house  at  conven- 
tional hours.  Courtney  had  only  bachelors  in  his 
official  family;  and  he  housed  them  all  with  him  in 
the  big  residence  on  Alta  Avenue,  and  gave  them 
free  rein  to  a  merry  life,  fully  assured  they  would 
not  abuse  the  liberty;  he  had  known  every  one  of 
them  as  boys,  and  their  fathers  before  them. 

The  Archduke  reached  over  and  pressed  a  button. 

"  Bring  me  a  cap  and  a  light  cape,"  he  said  to 
the  servant ; — "  and  a  stick." 

The  man  went  out,  and  Armand  crossed  to  a  win- 
dow and  drew  aside  the  curtain. 

"  Put  them  on  a  chair,"  he  said  without  looking 
around,  as  the  door  opened  again.  "  You  may  go." 

The  door  closed.  For  a  little  while  he  watched 
the  gay  street,  stretching  southward  for  half  a 
mile  to  the  center  of  the  city,  where  the  lights 
blazed  variegatedly  and  brightest.  The  theatres 

141 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


had  tossed  out  their  crowds,  and  below  him  the  van 
of  the  carriage  column  was  hurrying  homeward, 
to  the  fashionable  district  out  the  Avenue,  or  to 
the  Hanging  Garden  above  the  Lake.  Occasionally 
a  face,  usually  a  woman's,  would  lean  close  to  the 
door  and  look  at  the  Epsau  curiously  —  it  housed 
the  man  who  was  likely  to  be  King.  And  the  man 
smiled  with  half  bitter  cynicism,  and  wondered 
what  words  followed  the  look,  and  who  spoke  them, 
and  to  whom.  Once,  he  recognized  Count  Epping's 
lean  visage,  and  in  that  carriage,  at  least,  he  felt 
that  the  words  were  friendly;  a  moment  later,  the 
snake  eyes  of  Baron  Retz  went  glittering  by  —  but 
never  a  glance  did  he  turn  aside. 

"  You  little  reptile,"  the  Archduke  muttered 
aloud,  "  you  ought  to  crawl,  not  ride." 

He  dropped  the  curtain  and  turned  away  —  then 
stopped,  and  his  lips  softened;  and  presently  he 
laughed.  Just  inside  the  door,  and  standing  stiffly 
at  attention,  was  Colonel  Bernheim,  holding  the 
cape  and  cap  and  stick  the  servant  had  been  sent 
for. 

"  Now  what  's  the  trouble  ?  "  Armand  demanded. 

"Your  Highness  desired  these?"  said  Bernheim. 

"  Yes  —  but  I  did  n't  send  for  you."  The  tone 
was  very  kindly. 

"  But  you  are  going  out,  sir?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  I  'm   on   duty  to-night." 

"  You  're  excused  —  go  to  bed." 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  143 

The  old  soldier  shook  his  head.  "  I  'm  going  with 
you." 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Armand,  "  nonsense !  I  'm 
for  only  a  short  walk  up  the  Avenue." 

"  I  must  go  with  you,  sir,"  the  Aide  insisted. 

The  Archduke  looked  at  him  in  some  surprise. 

"  Positively,  Bernheim,"  he  said,  "  if  you  keep 
this  up  you  will  have  nervous  prostration.  Quit 
it,  man,  quit  it."  He  flung  on  the  cape,  and  taking 
cap  and  cane  went  toward  the  door.  "  Good 
night." 

The  Colonel  stood  aside,  hand  at  the  salute. 
"  Your  pardon,  sir — but  I  must  go  with  you — 
it  is  the  Regent's  personal  order." 

"What!" 

"  She  telephoned  me  this  evening  always  to  see 
that  you  had  an  escort,  after  dark." 

The  Archduke  sat  on  the  end  of  the  writing-table 
and  laughed  until  the  tears  came — and  even  old 
Bernheim  condescended  to  emit,  at  intervals,  a  grim 
sort  of  chuckle. 

"  What  hour  are  you  to  put  me  to  bed,  nurse?  " 
Armand  asked. 

"  The  orders  did  not  run  to  that  point,  sir," — 
with  a  louder  chuckle — "  but  I  should  say  not  later 
than  midnight." 

"  Then  I  've  a  few  minutes'  grace,  and  I  '11  spend 
them  playing  on  the  sidewalk,  while  you  warm  the 
sheets  and  get  the  milk,"  and  with  another  laugh 


144  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

he  went  out.  "  Don't  forget  the  milk,"  he  added 
over  his  shoulder. 

Bernheim  held  open  the  door. 

"  I  '11  not,  sir,"  he  said,  and  followed  him. 

At  the  street,  Armand  stopped. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Colonel  ?  "  he  asked. 

The  heels  clicked  together  and  the  hand  went  up. 

"  For  the  milk,  sir." 

He  recognized  the  futility  of  further  opposition ; 
with  the  Regent's  command  to  sustain  him,  Bern- 
heim would  not  be  denied. 

"  Come,  along,  then,"  he  ordered — "  and  if  they 
have  a  cow  at  the  American  Embassy  I  '11  set  you 
to  milking  it,  or  I  'm  a  sailor." 

The  old  fellow  answered  with  the  faintest  sug- 
gestion of  a  grin. 

All  Dornlitz  was  familiar  with  the  features  of 
the  Great  Henry,  and  so  it  was  quite  impossible 
for  the  Archduke  Armand  to  escape  recognition 
— and  to-night,  as  he  and  Bernheim  went  out  the 
Avenue,  the  people  made  way  for  him  with  a  re- 
spect and  deference  that  even  he  could  not  but 
feel  was  honest  and  sincere,  and  of  the  quietly 
enthusiastic  sort  that  is  most  dependable. 

"  Does  it  look  as  though  I  had  need  for  an  es- 
cort ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Not  at  this  moment,"  the  Aide  agreed. 

"  Nor  at  any  moment  on  Alta  Avenue ;  "  he  put 
his  hand  on  the  other's  arm — "  you  know,  Bern- 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  145 

heim,  it's  not  you  I  object  to,  it's  the  idea.  I 
always  like  you  with  me." 

The  Colonel's  face  flushed,  and  for  an  instant 
he  did  not  reply;  when  he  did,  his  voice  was  low 
and  faintly  husky. 

"Sire!"  he  said,  "Sire!" 

The  Archduke  glanced  at  him  in  quick  surprise, 
and  understood;  sometimes  Bernheim's  intense  de- 
votion overflowed. 

"  Brace  up,  Colonel,"  he  exclaimed,  with  sudden 
gayety,  "  brace  up !  you  won't  have  to  milk  that 
cow." 

Then  both  men  laughed,  and  the  normal  situa- 
tion was  resumed. 

The  bells  began  to  chime  midnight,  as  they 
reached  the  Embassy. 

"  Don't  wait  for  me,"  Armand  said ;  "  I  may 
be  late.  Go  back  and  send  an  orderly." 

The  other  smiled.  "  I  '11  wait,  myself,  sir,  if 
you  will  permit;  they  have  a  game  here  I  rather 
like." 

"  Take  care,  Colonel ;  those  boys  will  skin  you 
out  of  your  very  uniform — better  look  on." 

"  I  do,  sir,  when  I  've  a  poor  draw ;  "  he  an- 
swered seriously,  and  wondered  at  the  Archduke's 
chuckling  laugh. 

Courtney  greeted  his  friend  with  a  nod  and  a 
wave  of  his  hand. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  came  in,"  he  said.  "  I  've  been 

thinking  about  you — sit  down Scotch?  " 

10 


146  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  No,  rye — and  seltzer,  please."  He  took  the  chair 
across  the  desk  from  Courtney  and  waited  until 
the  man  had  placed  the  decanters  and  glasses  and 
retired.  "  And  I  've  been  thinking  about  you, 
too,"  he  said.  "  You  got  me  into  this  infernal 
mess,  and  now  it 's  up  to  you  to  help  me  out." 

Courtney  slowly  lit  a  cigarette  and  scrutinized 
the  coal,  critically. 

"  I  see,"  he  remarked,  "  that  you  have  already 
developed  the  ungratefulness  of  kings — I  have  high 
hopes  for  your  reign  ....  if  you  live  to 
reign." 

The  Archduke  put  down  his  glass  and  regarded 
him  in  exasperated  surprise. 

"  Damn  it,  man,  you  too  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  If 
I  were  given  to  nerves  I  would  be  seeing  daggers 
and  bullets  all  around  me — Bernheim  croaks  death ; 
and  so  does  Moore;  and  now  you  join  the  chorus — 
pretty  soon  the  boys  will  be  whistling  it  on  the 
Avenue." 

Courtney  picked  up  an  Embassy  official  envelope 
that  lay  before  him,  and  tossed  it  across  to  the 
Archduke. 

"  I  've  done  a  little  work  on  my  own  account, 
lately,"  he  said,  "  and  here  is  what  I  got  this 
evening.  I  have  always  found  this — agent, 
reliable." 

It  was  only  a  few  words,  scratched  hastily  in 
pencil  on  a  sheet  torn  from  a  small  note-book: — 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  147 

"Danger  very  imminent — under   no   circumstance 
go  out  at  night  without  an  escort." 

"  Nice  sort  of  country  this,  you  brought  me  to," 
said  Armand. 

"  It 's  not  the  country,  my  dear  boy,"  Courtney 
observed ;  "  it  is  beyond  reproach.  The  trouble 
is  that  one  of  your  own  family  still  is  a  barbarian; 
and  you  insist  upon  treating  him  as  though  he  were 
civilized.  For  my  part,  I  have  no  patience  with 
your  altruism ;  you  've  had  quite  sufficient  warning 
— he  tried  twice  to  kill  you  at  the  Vierle  Masque; 
and  he  has  told  you  to  your  face  that  you  would 
never  be  king.  Yet  you  persist  in  regarding  him 
as  fighting  square  and  in  the  open.  Bernheim  and 
Moore  are  wise — they  know  your  dear  cousin — 
and  you, — well,  you  're  a  fool  if  you  don't  know 
him,  too." 

It  was  a  very  long  speech  for  Courtney,  and 
Armand  had  listened  in  surprise — it  was  most  un- 
usual for  his  imperturbable  friend  to  grow  em- 
phatic, either  in  voice  or  gesture,  and  it  impressed 
him  as  Bernheim  and  Moore  never  had.  In  truth, 
he  had  no  particular  scruples  against  meeting 
Lotzen  in  the  good,  old-fashioned,  cloak-and-dagger 
way ;  but  what  irked  him  was  the  necessity  of  being 
always  on  the  qui  vive  to  resist  assault  or  to  avoid 
a  trap;  and  the  seeming  absurdity  of  it  in  Dorn- 
litz  of  the  twentieth  century.  It  made  him  feel 
such  a  simpleton,  to  be  looking  for  bravos  in  dark 
alleys,  or  to  wear  steel  vests,  or  to  be  eternally 


148  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

watchful  and  suspicious  of  every  one  and  every- 
thing. 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do,"  he  asked ;  "  go 
down  to  Lotzen's  palace  and  stick  my  sword  through 
him?" 

"  It 's  a  pity  you  may  not — it 's  what  he  would 
do  to  you,  if  he  could — but  that 's  not  our  way ; 
we  're  civilized  ....  to  a  certain  point. 
But  what  you  may  do  is  to  take  every  precaution 
against  him ;  and  then,  if  you  get  the  chance  in  fair 
justification,  kill  him  as  unconcernedly  as  he  would 
kill  you." 

The  Archduke  sat  silent,  his  cigar  between  his 
teeth,  the  smoke  floating  in  a  thin  strand  across 
his  face,  his  eyes  upon  the  desk  before  him. 

"  Of  course,  my  boy,"  Courtney  went  on,  after 
a  pause,  "  I  assume  you  are  in  the  game  to  the 
end,  and  in  to  win.  If  you  're  not,  the  whole  mat- 
ter is  easy  of  adjustment — renounce  the  Crown  and 
marry  the  Princess  ....  and  live  some- 
where beyond  the  borders  of  Valeria — come  back  to 
America,  indeed ;  I  '11  see  that  you  have  again  your 
commission  in  the  Engineer's ' 

Armand's  lips  closed  a  bit  tighter  on  his  cigar, 
his  fingers  began  to  play  upon  the  chair-arm,  and 
his  glance  shifted  for  an  instant  to  the  other's  face, 
then  back  to  the  desk.  And  Courtney  read  his 
mind  and  pressed  on  to  clinch  the  purpose. 

"  But  if  you  're  in  to  win — and  it 's  your  duty 
to  your  friends  to  win ;  it 's  your  duty  to  your 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  149 

friends  to  win,  I  repeat — your  first  obligation  is 
to  keep  alive ;  a  dead  archduke  is  of  no  earthly  use 
in  the  king  business  we  have  in  hand.  You  may 
go  straight  to  Glory,  but  that  won't  help  out  the 
poor  devils  you  leave  here  in  Lotzen's  clutches, 
and  who  have  been  true  to  you,  never  doubting  that 
you  would  be  true  to  them.  Your  life  belongs  to 
them,  now;  and  you  have  no  right  to  fritter  it 

away  in  silly,  stubborn  recklessness 

There,  I  've  spoken  my  mind,  and  quite  too  frankly, 
may  be ;  but  I  '11  promise  never  to  bother  you  again. 
After  all,  it 's  for  you  to  decide — not  for  a  med- 
dling friend." 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  And  just  to  prove  that 
the  friend  is  n't  meddling,  I  shall  accept  his  advice 
— bearing  in  mind,  however,  that  this  is  particularly 
an  exigency  where  prudence  must  be  subordinate 
to  daring.  Prudence  is  all  very  well  in  the  abstract, 
but  it  is  more  dangerous  to  our  success  than  reckless- 
ness. I  'm  playing  for  a  Crown  and  a  Nation's  favor 
— let  my  personal  courage  be  questioned  for  an 
instant,  and  the  game  is  lost  as  surely  as  though 
I  were  dead.  As  for  my  dear  cousin  of  Lotzen,  I 
assure  you  I  've  not  the  least  scruple  about  killing 
him,  under  proper  opportunity.  In  fact,  I  'm  in- 
clined to  think  I  should  rather  enjoy  it.  I  admit 
now  that  there  have  been  times  when  I  regret  I 
did  n't  run  him  through  at  the  Vierle  Masque." 

Courtney  nodded.     "  It  would  have  saved  you 


150  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

all  this  trouble — I  wanted  to  call  to  you  to  make  an 
end  of  him." 

"  I  can't  do  murder ;  I  had  disarmed  him.  Next 
time,  I  '11  make  a  different  play." 

"  There  won't  be  a  next  time,  if  the  Duke  has 
the  choosing.  He  is  n't  the  sort  to  seek  death,  and 
he  knows  you  are  his  master.  You  '11  have  to  kill 
him  in  a  melee,  or  manoeuvre  him  into  a  position 
where  he  has  no  option  but  to  fight." 

"  He  is  manoeuvring  himself  into  a  position  where 
he  will  have  to  contend  with  a  far  more  formidable 
blade  than  mine." 

Courtney's  eye-brows  lifted  expressively.  Than 
the  Archduke  himself  there  was  but  one  better 
swordsman  in  the  kingdom. 

"  What  has  Lotzen  been  doing  to  Moore  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"Insulting   Elise   d'Essolde." 

"  By   making  advances  ?  " 

Armand  nodded.  "  And  in  a  particularly  nasty 
way." 

"  He  is  n't  bothered  about  Moore,"  said  Court- 
ney. "  He  thinks  he  is  safe  from  any  one  that 
is  n't  of  his  station." 

"  He  does  n't  know  the  Irishman — Moore  would 
kill  him  without  a  thought." 

"  I  'm  not  so  sure,"  said  Courtney.  "  Moore  is 
bred  to  respect  for  royalty;  he  would  hesitate  to 
use  sword  against  one  of  the  Blood  except  in 
defense." 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  151 

"  Lotzen  would  best  not  bank  much  on  that  for 
immunity  if  he  pursue  d'Essolde." 

"  Well,  so  much  the  better ;  between  you,  the 
trick  should  be  turned;  though,  as  a  matter  of 
abstract  justice,  it 's  your  particular  work." 

"  And  I  shan't  shirk  it,"  said  Armand — then 
he  laughed — "  on  the  whole,  I  'm  something  of  a 
savage  myself ;  Lotzen  has  n't  got  all  of  it  for  the 
family,  it  would  seem." 

Courtney  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  We  all  are 
savages  at  the  core — it 's  only  a  question  of  the 
veneer's  thickness." 

"  Of  its  thinness,  I  should  say.  However,  now 
that  you  have  saved  my  precious  life,  and  dedicated 
me  to  care  and  prudence  and  to  killing  my  enemies, 
we  can  get  down  to  business.  You  had  something 
to  tell  me." 

"  I  have  told  you,"  said  Courtney.  "  I  wanted 
to  show  you  that  note  and  save  your  precious  life." 

The  Archduke  picked  up  the  paper,  and  read  it 
again. 

"  May  be  the  party  who  wrote  this,"  he  said, 
"  can  help  you  answer  the  question  I  came  to  ask : 
what  brought  Lotzen  to  the  Summer  Palace,  this 
afternoon ;  and,  in  particular,  why  did  he  go  into 
the  King's  library?  " 

Courtney  lit  a  fresh  cigarette  and  watched  the 
match  burn  to  a  cinder. 

"  Is  n't  your  second  question  the  answer  to  the 
first  ?  "  he  asked. 


152  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Doubtless ;  but  what 's  the  answer  to  the 
second?  " 

Courtney  shook  his  head.  "  I  pass — unless  you 
can  give  me  some  details." 

"  Here 's  everything  I  know,"  said  Armand. 
"  Moore,  as  Adjutant  to  the  Regent,  occupies  part 
of  the  King's  suite  as  his  quarters.  This  after- 
noon, he  went  out,  leaving  open  the  corridor  door 
of  the  library.  A  little  later  Mademoiselle  d'Es- 
solde  saw  Lotzen  come  from  the  library — subse- 
quently he  met  Moore  and  casually  remarked  to  him 
that,  as  he  passed  his  quarters,  the  door  being  open, 
he  had  taken  the  liberty  of  looking  at  His  late 
Majesty's  portrait,  which  he  wished  to  have 
copied." 

Courtney  considered  a  bit. 

"  It 's  really  most  interesting  to  study  your 
cousin's  methods,"  he  said  presently.  "  He  seems 
to  take  particular  pleasure  in  telling  one  what  he 
knows  will  not  be  believed.  It  was  quite  absurd  to 
offer  such  a  fool  explanation,  if  he  really  wished 
to  explain — and  none  knows  it  better  than  Lotzen. 
It  was  just  as  though  he  had  said  to  Moore:  '  Tell 
the  Archduke  Armand,  I  've  been  in  the  library, 
I  've  accomplished  what  I  went  for,  and  he  may  go 
to  the  devil,  with  my  compliments.' ' 

"  That  9s  very  well,  as  an  exposition  of  Lotzen's 
methods,"  said  Armand ;  "  but  what  concerns  me  is 
his  motive;  what  was  it  he  went  for?  " 

"  The  Book  of  Laws,  possibly,"  Courtney  replied. 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  153 

"  Nonsense — he  knows  it 's  not  in  the  library — 
if  it  were,  I  would  have  had  it  days  ago." 

"  And  how  does  he  know  you  have  n't  got  it  ?  " 

"  How !  Because  I  'd  have  produced  it  to  prove 
my  title." 

Courtney  smiled.  "  Certainly  you  would — if  it 
proved  your  title ;  but  if  it  did  n't  ?  " 

"  You  overlook  Frederick's  decree." 

"  No,  I  don't — you  overlook  the  fact  that  no  one 
has  ever  seen  that  decree,  and  that  Lotzen  is  en- 
titled to  assume  it  was  not  executed — that  the  whole 
story  is  fabricated,  and  that  you  have  made  away 
with  the  Book  in  order  to  throw  the  election  into 
the  House  of  Nobles ;  and  so  to  have  a  chance  for 
the  Crown,  when,  in  reality,  you  are  entitled  to 
none." 

"  Lotzen  understands  perfectly  that  Dehra  told 
the  truth,"  said  Armand ;  "  and  that  I  've  not  got 
the  Book — for  my  part,  I  'm  almost  ready  to  ac- 
cept her  notion  that  he  has  it." 

Courtney  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  studied 
the  smoke  rings  he  sent  whirling  upwards. 

"  I  can't  agree  with  you,"  he  said ;  "  indeed, 
since  his  visit  to  the  library,  I  'm  more  convinced 
than  ever  that  he  has  n't  the  Book.  He  pretends 
to  have  it,  so  as  to  mislead  you  in  your  search." 

"  More  likely,  in  your  view  of  him,"  said 
Armand,  "  it  is  to  decoy  me  into  a  trap  where  he 
can  make  an  end  of  me." 

"  I  believe  you  've  guessed  it,"  said  Courtney, 


154  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

after  a  moment's  thought ;  "  and  what  is  more, 
it 's  the  key  to  Lotzen's  plan  of  campaign,  and  it 
proves  conclusively  his  murderous  purpose.  I M 
be  very  shy  of  information  that  points  Book-ward, 
unless  you  know  the  informant;  above  everything, 
don't  be  fooled  by  the  device  of  a  rendezvous,  or 
a  tattling  servant." 

"  True  enough ;  and  yet  I  must  not  let  slip  any 
chance  that  might  lead  to  the  recovery  of  the  Book ; 
my  equivocal  position  demands  that  it  be  found, 
both  to  vindicate  Dehra's  story  and  to  justify  my 
own  claim  to  the  Succession.  Indeed,  to  my  mind, 
I  have  no  chance  whatever  unless  Frederick's  decree 
is  produced.  However,  Lotzen  won't  use  such 
hoary  artifices;  he  will  have  some  simple  little  plot 
that  will  enmesh  me  by  its  very  innocence.  As  a 
schemer  against  him  I  'm  not  even  an  'also  ran.' ' 

"  And,  therefore,  my  dear  Armand,"  said  Court- 
ney quickly,  "  you  must  be  prepared  to  cut  the 
meshes  when  they  close;  an  escort — a  sword — a 
pistol — a  steel  vest — there  's  where  you  get  your 
chance  at  him.  Between  the  schemer  and  the  ready 
fighter,  I  '11  gamble  on  the  fighter  every  time. 
.  ,.  ,  .  It's  a  pity  you've  lost  Moore — you 
and  he  would  make  a  famous  pair.  Bernheim  is  a 
good  sort,  but  Moore  is  worth  twenty  of  him  in 
this  business." 

The  Archduke's  eyes  brightened — the  Irishman 
and  he  together  could  make  a  merry  fight — an  al- 


A  QUESTION  OF  VENEER  155 

together  worth-while  sort  of  fight — a  fight  that 
the  Great  Henry  himself,  in  his  younger  days, 
would  have  sought  with  eager  blade  and  joyful 
heart — a  quick,  sharp  fight  that  gave  the  enemy 
no  rest  nor  quarter — a  thrust — a  fall — a  careless 
laugh — a  dripping  point  wiped  on  a  handkerchief. 
He  saw  it  all,  and  his  fingers  tingled  and  his  eyes 
went  brighter  still. 

And  across  the  table  Courtney  blew  ring  upon 
ring  of  smoke,  and  watched  him  curiously,  until 
the  intent  look  waned  and  passed. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "did  you  kill  him?" 

"Yes,  I  killed  him  ....  and  even  wiped 
my  sword — much  ground  have  I  to  cast  reproach  at 
Lotzen."  He  got  up.  "  I  'm  going ;  if  I  sit  under 
your  tutelage  any  longer,  I  '11  be  jabbling  holes  in 
the  good  citizens  I  meet  on  the  Avenue." 

"  With  that  stick?  "  Courtney  asked. 

"  I  forgot — the  good  citizen  is  safe  to-night." 

"  But  you  're  not.  Let  me  give  you  a  sword  or 
a  revolver."  And  when  both  were  declined,  he 
held  up  the  paper :  "  Danger  imminent,"  he 
warned. 

"  Bernheim  will  take  care  of  me,"  said  Armand ; 
"  and  a  light  stick  is  n't  a  bad  sort  of  rapier,  if  it 
is  handled  properly.  I  'm  glad  for  this  talk,  and 
to  have  learned  how  very  thin  my  veneer  is. — I  'm 
going  back  to  the  Epsau  now,  and  teach  Bernheim 
the  scalp  dance.  Good  night." 


156  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  trade  him  to  the  Regent  for  Moore,  the 
first  thing  in  the  morning,"  Courtney  urged. 

The  Archduke  paused  at  the  threshold: 

"  Well,  may  be  I  shall,"  he  said ;  "  I  believe  he 
is  a  bit  more  the  savage."  He  faced  about.  "  As 
for  you,  my  dear  Dick,  you  're  cut  out  for  a  typical 
missionary — you  would  have  the  natives  killing  one 
another  within  an  hour  after  you  landed." 

"  Danger  imminent ! "  called  Courtney,  and  the 
door  swung  shut. 


XI 

FIEST    BLOOD 

THE  Archduke  knew  where  to  find  his  Aide,  so 
he  waved  aside  the  servant  and  went  on  to  the  bil- 
liard room. 

"  Don't  mind  me,  boys,"  he  said,  as  they  sprang 
up ;  "  go  on  with  the  deal — unless,"  motioning 
toward  Bernheim's  big  pile  of  chips,  "  you  want  to 
be  relieved  of  the  beginner." 

"Your  Highness  is  ready  to  go?"  Bernheim 
asked. 

Armand  nodded.  "  But  that  must  n't  take  you 
away ;  luck  's  with  you,  it 's  a  crime  to  desert  her 
— I  know  the  way  home." 

The  Colonel  pushed  his  winnings  into  the  centre 
of  the  table. 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  for  a  delightful  evening, 
messieurs,"  he  said,  with  his  stiff,  military  bow; 
"  and  since  I  must  leave  before  the  end  of  the  game, 
I  make  a  John-pot  of  these  for  you." 

The  Archduke  took  him  by  the  arm. 

"  You  may  not  do  that,  Colonel,"  he  laughed ; 
"  they  cannot  let  you.  You  must  cash  in,  and  give 
them  a  chance  some  other  time." 

"  But  it  is  my  pleasure,  sir,  for  them  to  have 
back  what  I  won." 

167 


158  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  it  will  be  their  pleasure  to  take  it  back," 
said  Armand  kindly,  "  but  not  in  that  way — they 
must  win  it  back  from  you." 

Bernheim  drew  himself  up.  "  I  understand,  sir," 
he  said. — "  Messieurs,  I  salute  you." 

When  they  came  out  on  the  Avenue,  a  fine  rain 
was  blowing  in  clouds,  but  the  Archduke  declined 
the  servant's  offer  to  ring  the  stables  for  a  carriage. 
The  street  was  deserted ;  not  a  pedestrian,  nor  even 
a  cab,  was  in  sight,  either  way.  Both  men  wrapped 
their  capes  around  them,  and  strode  off  toward  the 
Epsau. 

"  A  dirty  night,  sir,"  the  Colonel  observed — "  it 
might  have  been  well  to  take  the  carriage." 

"  I  like  it,"  said  Armand ;  "  to  walk  in  the  rain 
or  to  ride  in  the  snow." 

"  The  snow,  yes — but  we  don't  have  much  of  it 
in  Dornlitz — one  must  go  to  the  mountains  in  the 
North — to  Lotzenia — for  it." 

"  My  dear  cousin's  country !  " 

"  His  titular  estates — but  not  his  country,"  said 
Bernheim.  "  He  has  the  old  castle  on  the  Dreer 
and  a  huge  domain — that  King  Frederick's  father 
gave  to  Lotzen's  father  in  a  foolish  moment  of  gen- 
erosity— but  he  has  n't  the  heart  of  a  single  inhab- 
itant; indeed,  until  his  banishment  there,  I  think 
he  had  never  even  seen  the  place.  But  with  the  old 
castle  of  Dalberg,  across  the  valley — the  cradle  of 
your  race,  sir — it 's  very  different.  Who  rules 
there  is  the  idol  of  the  Lotzenians ;  he  is  their 


FIRST  BLOOD  159 

hereditary  lord;  and  they  can  never  forget  that  he 
belonged  to  them  before  he  took  the  Crown,  and 
that  they  helped  him  in  the  taking." 

"  And  now  that  there  is  no  king,  whom  will  they 
serve  until  the  new  lord  comes  ?  " 

Bernheim  raised  his  cap. 

"  Her  Royal  Highness  the  Regent — until  they 
serve  you." 

No  man  could  be  quite  insensible  to  all  that  this 
implied  of  kingly  power,  and  the  traditional 
homage  of  inherited  devotion,  the  hot  love  for  him 
who  was  born  their  chief — given  them  of  God,  and 
their  own  before  all  others.  The  Archduke's  fin- 
gers closed  a  bit  tighter  on  his  stick,  his  blood 
pulsed  faster,  and  the  stubborn  spirit  of  old 
Hugo  awoke  to  new  life;  and  in  that  moment,  in 
the  dead  of  night,  with  the  rain  whipping  around 
them,  as  it  wrapped  the  city  in  a  cloud  of  glowing 
mist,  he  turned  his  face  forever  from  his  old  life, 
its  memories  and  methods,  and  passed  finally  into 
the  New,  its  high  destiny,  its  privileges,  its  respon- 
sibilities, its  dangers  and  its  cares.  He  would  make 
this  fight  in  the  Duke's  own  fashion,  and  end  it  in 
the  Duke's  own  way;  if  he  fell  in  the  ending,  he 
would  see  to  it  that  the  Duke  fell  first;  not  that  he 
cared  for  his  company  in  the  out-going — though, 
doubtless,  it  would  matter  little  then — but  because 
it  were  not  well  to  leave  him  behind  to  plague  the 
kingdom  with  his  viciousness. 

They  now  had  left  the  more  modern  portion  of 


160  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  Avenue  and  were  in  the  older  section,  where 
the  houses  were  smaller  and  stood  only  a  little  way 
from  the  sidewalk;  though  occasionally  a  more  pre- 
tentious one  was  set  far  back,  with  trees  and  shrub- 
bery around  it,  and  a  wall  before,  hiding  it  almost 
entirely  from  the  street. 

In  front  of  one  of  these  residences,  the  Arch- 
duke suddenly  stopped  and  caught  Bernheim's  arm. 

"  Listen !  "  he  said,  "  I  heard  a  cry." 

Bernheim,  too,  had  heard  it,  but  he  was  not 
minded  to  let  his  master  know. 

"  It  was  the  wind,  doubtless,  sir,"  he  said. 

"  No,  it  was  n't  the  wind — it  was  a  voice,  and 
a  woman's  voice,  I  thought." 

A  blast  of  rain  and  mist  swept  by  them  and 
through  the  trees,  stirring  the  leaves  into  a  rust- 
ling as  of  the  sighs  of  disembodied  spirits,  while 
the  swaying  street  lights  flung  the  shadows  hither 
and  thither  like  pursuing  cerecloths  struggling  to 
re-shroud  them  in  their  forsaken  garb. 

Bernheim  looked  around  to  fix  the  location. 

"  It  *s  the  De  Saure  house,"  he  said,  "  and  has 
been  unoccupied  for  months — Your  Highness  must 
have  been  mistaken." 

The  Archduke  moved  on.  "  Doubtless,  the  wind 
plays  queer  tricks  with  sound  on  such  a  night ;  yet 
my  ears  rarely  deceive  me." 

They  were  passing  the  wide  entrance  gates,  and 
he  went  nearer  and  peered  within — and  as  though 


FIRST  BLOOD  161 

in  answer,  from  out  the  darkness  came  the  shriek 
of  one  in  awful  terror. 

"  Don't  strike  me  again!  For  God's  sake  don't 
strike  me!  " 

The  Archduke  seized  the  gate. 

"  Come  on,  Bernheim,"  he  exclaimed ;  "  it  M  a 
woman." 

The  Aide  caught  his  arm. 

"  Don't,  sir,"  he  said ;  "  don't — it  is  nothing  for 
you  to  mix  in — it  is  for  the  police." 

Armand  made  no  answer;  he  was  trying  to  find 
the  latch. 

"  I  pray  Your  Highness  to  refrain,"  Bernheim 
begged ;  "  an  Archduke — " 

"  Help!    For  God's  sake  "help!  "  came  the  cry. 

The  latch  yielded,  and  Armand  flung  back  the 
gate. 

"  Come  on,"  he  ordered,  "  I  'm  a  man,  and 
yonder  a  woman  calls." 

He  sprang  down  the  path  toward  the  house, 
which  he  could  see  now  in  black  forbiddingness 
among  the  trees  far  back  from  the  street. 

Again  Bernheim  ventured  to  protest. 

"  It  may  be  Lotzen's  trap,  sir,"  he  warned. 

For  the  shadow  of  an  instant  the  Archduke  hesi- 
tated; and  at  that  moment  the  voice  rang  out 
again. 

"  Don't  strike  me!    Don't  str — "  and  a  gurgling 
choke  ended  it. 
11 


162  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  To  the  devil  with  Lotzen ! "  he  exclaimed,  and 
dashed  on. 

And  Bernheim,  with  a  silent  curse,  went  beside 
him,  loosening  his  sword  as  he  ran,  and  feeling 
for  the  small  revolver  he  had  slipped  inside  his 
tunic,  before  they  left  the  Epsau.  To  him,  now, 
everything  of  mystery  or  danger  spelled  Lotzen 
— but  even  if  it  were  not  he,  there  was  trouble 
enough  ahead,  and  scandal  enough,  too,  likely; 
scandal  in  which  the  Governor  of  Dornlitz,  an  Arch- 
duke, may  be  the  King,  had  no  place,  and  which 
could  serve  only  to  injure  him  before  the  people 
and  in  the  esteem  of  the  Nobles.  Better  that  half 
the  women  in  Dornlitz  should  be  beaten  and  choked 
than  that  his  master  should  be  smirched  by  the 
tongue  of  calumny.  He  had  no  patience  with  this 
Quixotism  that  succored  foolish  females  at  foolish 
hours,  in  a  place  where  neither  the  female  nor  they 
had  any  right  to  enter — and  where,  for  her,  at 
least,  to  enter  was  a  crime.  If  he  were  able,  he 
would  have  picked  the  Archduke  up  bodily,  and 
borne  him  back  to  the  palace,  and  have  left  the 
infernal  woman  to  shift  for  herself,  and  to  save 
herself  or  not,  as  her  luck  might  rule. 

Then  they  brought  up  suddenly  in  front  of  the 
house ;  and  as  they  paused  to  find  the  steps,  a  light 
flashed,  for  an  instant,  from  the  upper  windows, 
and  disappeared — as  if  an  electric  switch  had  been 
turned  on,  and  off  again.  But  its  life  had  been 
long  enough  to  show  the  broad  entrance  porch,  and 


FIRST  BLOOD  163 

the  big  doors  beyond  it — and  that  they  were  open 
wide. 

At  the  sight,  Bernheim  swore  a  good  round  oath 
and  seized  the  Archduke's  arm. 

"  It 's  a  trap,  my  lord,  it 's  a  trap ! "  he 
exclaimed. 

And  again  Armand  hesitated;  and  again  the  cry 
came,  though  muffled  now  and  indistinct. 

"  We  will  have  to  chance  it,"  he  said,  "  I  can't 
desert  a  woman  who  calls  for  help." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  Bernheim,  knowing  that 
further  opposition  was  useless,  "  but  if  it  is  a 
trap,  she  '11  be  the  first  I  kill." 

They  went  softly  up  the  steps  and  into  the 
vestibule;  not  a  sound  came  from  within. 

"Are  you  familiar  with  this  house?"  the  Arch- 
duke whispered. 

"  Very,  sir ;  I  've  been  in  it  scores  of  times — • 
salon  on  right,  dining  room  and  library  opposite." 

"And  the  stairs?" 

"  In  the  rear,  on  the  left." 

"  Can  you  find  the  electric  switch  ?  " 

The  Colonel  drew  his  revolver  and  stepped  quick- 
ly inside ;  he  knew  there  was  a  row  of  buttons  near 
the  library  door,  and  he  found  them  readily.  With 
a  single  motion  he  pushed  them  in,  and  every 
chandelier  and  side-light  in  the  entire  lower  floor 
sprang  to  life — illuminating  rooms,  solitary  and 
undisturbed. 


164  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Over  the  mantel  in  the  library  hung  a  pair  of 
beautiful  old  duelling  rapiers,  and  the  Archduke 
snatched  one  down  and  tried  its  balance;  then  took 
the  other  and  handed  it  to  Bernheim. 

"  Take  it,  man,"  he  said,  as  the  Colonel  touched 
his  own  sword ;  "  take  it,  it 's  worth  an  armory  of 
those;  its  reach  alone  may  save  your  life,  if  we 
are  crowded."  He  made  a  pass  in  the  air  and 
laughed — it  was  sweet  any  time  to  feel  the  hilt  of 
such  a  weapon,  but  now  it  was  doubly  sweet,  with 
danger  ahead  and  the  odds  he  knew  not  what.  He 
pointed  upward. 

"  Come  along,"  he  said — "  now  for  the  next  floor 
and  the  clash  of  steel." 

But  Bernheim  shook  his  head. 

"  I  pray  you,  my  lord,  be  prudent,"  he  urged — 
"  remember,  to  us  you  are  the  King." 

Faintly,  from  somewhere  above,  the  cry  came — 
weak  and  suppressed,  but  audible. 

"  Help!  oh  help!  " 

"  Damn  the  woman ! "  Bernheim  exclaimed,  dash- 
ing forward  to  go  first ;  and  failing,  by  four  steps. 

The  upper  hall  was  dark,  save  for  the  reflection 
from  below,  but  Armand  caught  the  sheen  of  a 
switch  plate  and  pressed  the  key.  Five  closed  doors 
confronted  him — without  hesitation  he  chose  the 
rear  one  on  the  right,  and  sprang  toward  it. 

As  he  did  so,  the  lights  on  the  first  floor  went 
out,  the  front  doors  closed  with  a  bang,  and  a  key 
turned  in  the  lock  and  was  withdrawn.  Instinc- 


FIRST  BLOOD  165 

tively  he  stopped  and  drew  back;  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, Bernheim  reached  over  and  turned  off  their 
lights  also,  leaving  the  house  in  impenetrable 
darkness. 

The  Archduke  stepped  quickly  across  toward 
Bernheim,  and  bumped  into  him  mid-way. 

"  It 's  a  trap,"  he  whispered ;  "  the  locking  of 
the  door  proves  it — these  rooms  are  empty,  but 
we  '11  have  a  look  and  not  be  caught  between  two 
fires." 

"  Damn  the  woman !  "  said  Bernheim. 

Armand  laughed  softly.  "  Never  mind  her,  we 
have  other  work  on  hand  now.  You  keep  the  stair- 
way ;  put  your  sword  into  any  one  who  tries  to  come 
up ;  I  '11  go  through  the  rooms,"  and  he  was  gone 
before  the  Colonel  could  protest. 

Bernheim  tip-toed  over  to  the  head  of  the  stairs 
and,  leaning  on  the  rail,  listened.  He  could  detect 
no  sound  in  the  hall  below;  the  silence  was  as  utter 
as  the  blackness.  He  stooped  and  felt  the  carpet 
on  the  stairs;  it  was  soft  and  very  thick,  the  sort 
that  deadens  noise.  Behind  him,  a  door  closed 
softly,  and  he  saw  the  gleam  of  a  faint  light  along 
a  sill,  and,  in  a  moment,  along  another  further 
toward  the  front.  Evidently,  the  Archduke  had 
met  no  misadventure  yet.  And  so  he  stood  there, 
tense  and  expectant,  while  the  darkness  pressed 
hard  upon  his  eyes,  and  set  them  burning  with  the 
strain  of  striving  to  pierce  through. 

Presently   he   felt    that   some   one   was    coming 


166  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

toward  him,  and  then  the  faintest  whisper  spoke 
his  name.  He  reached  out,  and  his  fingers  touched 
the  Archduke's  shoulder. 

Armand  put  his  mouth  close  to  his  Aide's  ear. 

"  Rooms  deserted,"  he  whispered — "  what 's  on 
the  third  floor?  " 

"  It 's  a  mere  garret ;  the  servants  quarters  are 
in  a  detached  building  in  the  rear." 

"  We  '11  chance  the  garret — I  laid  a  chair  across 
the  foot  of  those  stairs — and  also  at  the  head  of 
the  back  stairs — anything  doing  below?  " 

"  Quiet  as  the  grave,  sir." 

"  An  apt  simile,  Bernheim,"  said  the  Archduke ; 
"  there  is  going  to  be  a  death  or  two  down  there 
to-night,  if  we  can  manage  it — just  as  a  gentle 
notice  to  our  cousin  of  what  he  may  expect." 

The  old  soldier's  hand  sought  impulsively  his 
master's. 

"  You  mean  it,  my  lord  ?  "  he  asked  eagerly. 

"  I  do ;  I  'm "  a  stair  creaked  very  faintly — 

"  they  're  coming,"  he  ended. 

Both  men  bent  forward  listening  .... 
the  seconds  passed  ....  no  sound  came  to 
them.  Then  Bernheim  bethought  himself  of  the 
rail,  and  laid  his  ear  upon  it.  Instantly  he  was  up. 

"  They  are  coming,"  he  whispered,  "  I  could  hear 
them  distinctly." 

"  Good,"  said  Armand.  "  We  will  give  them  the 
steel  as  soon  as  they  're  within  reach — be  ready — 
I  '11  take  the  right." 


FIRST  BLOOD  167 

The  stairway  was  of  more  than  medium  width, 
and  straight-away  almost  to  the  lower  floor,  the 
turn  being  at  the  bottom.  While  the  lights  were 
on,  Bernheim  had  noticed  a  heavy  oak  chest  against 
the  wall  near  where  they  were  standing.  Now 
it  suddenly  occurred  to  him  how  it  could  be  used. 
Asking  the  Archduke  to  bear  aside  a  moment,  he 
seized  it  in  his  powerful  arms,  and  carrying  it  to 
the  head  of  the  stairs  hurled  it,  with  all  his  strength, 
down  into  the  darkness. 

There  was  a  heavy  thud  as  of  human  bodies 
struck,  wild  shrieks  of  pain  and  terror,  and  then  a 
deafening  crash,  as  the  chest  broke  asunder  against 
the  wall  below,  followed  directly  by  moans,  and 
curses,  and  struggles  to  get  free. 

Although  Armand  had  not  seen  what  his  Aide 
had  done,  he  could  picture  it  all  now,  and  he 
laughed  aloud. 

"  Clear  away  the  debris,  gentlemen ! "  he  called. 
"  On  to  the  charge !  Don't  be  a  lot  of  quitters ; 
we  've  plenty  of  ammunition  left ;  en  avant!  " 

But  only  the  moans  answered  him.  He  drew 
Bernheim  closer. 

"  What  do  you  suggest,"  he  asked ;  "  shall  we 
go  down  ?  " — And  the  upsetting  of  the  chair  at 
the  rear  stairs  answered  him. 

"  Turn  on  the  lights  when  I  whistle,"  he  ordered, 
and  stole  swiftly  to  the  rear  of  the  hall. 

Doubtless  the  purpose  had  been  to  attack  them 
simultaneously  in  front  and  rear,  and  here  was  the 


168  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

chance  to  give  this  detachment,  also,  a  sur- 
prise. He  heard  the  chair  being  set  carefully  aside, 
followed  by  foot-falls  such  as  are  made  only  by 
shoeless  feet.  The  darkness  was  impenetrable,  but 
he  knew  they  paused  at  the  door,  and  then  came 
slowly  forward,  passing  him  so  closely  he  could 
have  touched  them  with  his  hand.  The  next  instant 
he  gave  the  signal. 

As  the  lights  blazed  out,  disclosing  three  masked 
men  with  drawn  swords,  the  Archduke  leaped  for- 
ward and,  with  the  hilt  of  his  rapier,  struck  the 
one  nearest  him  behind  the  ear.  The  rogue  dropped 
in  his  tracks.  At  the  same  moment,  Bernheim's 
pistol  cracked,  and  another  went  down,  shot 
through  the  head.  The  third  stood  irresolute;  and 
him  the  Archduke  addressed. 

"  It 's  the  pistol,  yonder,  or  the  sword,  here," 
he  said;  "which  will  you  choose?" 

The  fellow  chanced  to  be  almost  in  line  with  the 
front  stairs,  and  for  answer  he  sprang  across  the 
hall  and  dashed  down  them.  Bernheim's  gun  spoke 
thrice:  the  first  bullet  struck  the  wall;  the 
second,  the  newel  post ;  the  third,  fired  into  the  semi- 
obscurity  below,  and  as  the  knave's  head  was  almost 
on  a  line  with  the  floor,  brought  an  answering  cry ; 
but  it  did  not  disable  him ;  they  heard  him  stumble 
over  the  broken  chest,  then  the  key  was  thrust  into 
the  lock,  the  front  door  was  flung  back,  and  he 
crossed  the  porch  at  a  run. 


FIRST  BLOOD  169 

"  He  's  the  last  of  them,  I  fancy,"  said  Armand. 

Bernheim  looked  at  the  pistol  in  disgust. 

"  I  never  did  have  any  patience  with  these  toys," 
he  growled ;  "  three  shots  across  a  blanket,  and  only 
a  touch !  " 

The  Archduke  pointed  to  the  dead  body. 

"  You  did  pretty  well  there,"  he  said. 

"  Luck,  pure  luck."  He  went  over  to  the  stairs. 
"  I  don't  hear  anything,"  he  said ;  "  the  chest 
seems  to  be  very  quiet — what  about  the  lights ;  shall 
I  turn  them  off?  " 

"  First  take  a  look  at  these  gentlemen,"  said 
Armand ;  "  do  you  know  them  ?  " 

The  Aide  stooped  over  the  one  he  had  killed  and 
jerked  off  the  mask  that  covered  his  upper  face — 
then  did  the  same  with  the  other,  and  shook  his 
head. 

"  I  never  saw  either  of  them,"  he  said ;  "  but 
they  look  the  part — you  hit  this  one  exactly  on 
the  spot;  he  is  paralyzed  or  dead." 

"  We  will  leave  him  to  find  out  for  himself  which 
it  is,"  the  Archduke  answered — "  unless,  Colonel, 
you  wish  to  search  further  for  the  lady — as  I  re- 
member, you  promised  her  the  first  killing." 

Bernheim  laughed. 

"  I  rather  imagine  your  lady  is  a  man — I  think 
we  shall  find  her  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs." 

He  ran  quickly  down,  vaulted  over  the  debris 
with  the  aid  of  the  rail,  and  turned  on  the  light. 


170  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  Archduke  had  followed  him  as  far  as  the 
turn. 

"  It  looks  as  though  you  got  her,  Colonel,"  he 
remarked,  pointing  with  his  rapier  to  two  men  who 
lay  among  the  fragments  of  the  chest.  One  was 
dead — face  and  head  mashed  flat,  the  crimson 
splotch  on  the  white  wall  marking  where  the  heavy 
missile  had  crushed  them.  The  other,  both  legs 
broken  at  the  ankles,  and  half  his  ribs  driven  in, 
was  pinned  in  the  corner,  unconscious — a  singularly 
repulsive  creature,  with  huge,  protruding  teeth, 
pimply  face,  an  enormous  red  nose,  and  a  mouth 
like  a  fish's. 

Bernheim  looked  him  over. 

"  Positively,  I  'd  be  ashamed  to  employ  such 
carrion,"  he  remarked.  "  I  don't  understand 
Lotzen;  he  is  an  aesthete,  even  in  his  crimes." 

The  Archduke  stepped  carefully  into  the  hall, 
and  laid  his  rapier  on  the  table. 

"  Let  us  be  off,"  he  said ;  "  there  is  nothing  more 
to  do."  He  turned  toward  the  door — then  stopped 
and  reached  for  the  sword. 

"  Others  are  coming,"  he  said ; — "  we  '11  fight  it 
out  right  here." 

There  was  the  quick  tramp  of  feet  on  the  porch, 
and  a  sergeant  and  two  police  entered.  Their 
looks  of  bewildered  surprise,  as  they  recognized 
the  Archduke  and  his  Aide,  were  so  comical  that 
even  Bernheim  smiled,  though  his  words  were  curt 
enough. 


FIRST  BLOOD  171 

"  Salute,  men ! "  he  said,  "  don't  you  know  His 
Royal  Highness?  " 

The  sergeant's  hand  went  up. 

"  Your  pardon,  sir,"  he  stammered,  "  but  we 
heard  shots — and  this  house  is  supposed  to  be  un- 
occupied. I  am  sorry — — " 

Armand  motioned  him  to  silence. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  pardon,  sergeant,"  he 
said ;  "  you  are  doing  your  duty  very  properly, 
and  you  come  in  good  time.  You  will  search  this 
place  thoroughly,  including  the  grounds;  remove 
the  dead  and  wounded  immediately;  see  that  all 
knowledge  of  the  affair  is  suppressed,  and  report 
to  me  at  noon  to-morrow." 

The  officer  saluted  again.  "  Yes,  Your  High- 
ness." 

"Where  are  our  capes,  Colonel?" 

"In  the  library— I'll  get  them."  .  .  ... 
He  dropped  the  Archduke's  about  his  shoulders, 
and  the  sergeant  did  the  same  for  him. 

As  they  gained  the  Avenue,  the  cathedral  bell 
struck  three. 

"  A  nice  hour  for  an  old  man  like  you,  Bern- 
heim,  to  be  going  home,"  said  the  Archduke. 

A  quizzical  smile  came  into  the  Aide's  stern 
face. 

"  A  lady  called  me,"  he  replied. 


XII 

THE  SOLE  SUEVIVOR 

FERIDA  PALACE,  the  residence  of  His  Royal 
Highness  the  Duke  of  Lotzen,  on  the  Alta  Avenue 
half  a  mile  or  so  beyond  the  Epsau,  is  a  great, 
rambling  pile  of  gray  stone,  of  varying  height  and 
diverse  architecture,  set  in  the  midst  of  grounds 
that  occupy  two  entire  squares,  and  are  surrounded 
by  a  high,  embattled  wall,  pierced  with  four  wide 
entrances,  whose  bronze  gates  are  famous  in  their 
craftsmanship. 

Here  the  Duke  lived  in  a  splendor  and  munifi- 
cence almost  rivaling  the  King  himself,  and  with 
a  callous  indifference  to  certain  laws  of  society, 
that  would  have  scandalized  the  Capital  had  it  be- 
come public  knowledge.  But  in  his  household,  the 
servant  who  babbled,  never  babbled  twice;  he  left 
Dornlitz  quite  too  suddenly;  and  those  who  were 
wise  learned  quickly  that  they  lost  nothing  in  wage 
nor  perquisite  by  being  blind  and  dumb.  For 
Lotzen  did  not  skimp  his  steward — all  he  required 
was  skillful  service,  and  that  what  occurred  within 
the  Palace  must  not  go  beyond  the  walls.  Never- 
theless, in  conduct,  he  was  not  the  habitual  libertine 
and  rou£, — the  contrary  was,  in  truth,  the  fact — 
but  he  proposed  to  have  the  opportunity  to  do  as 
172 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  173 

he  liked  when  the  fancy  moved  him — and  to  have 
no  carping  moralist  praying  over  him  and  then 
retailing  his  misdeeds  with  unctuous  smirks  of  pious 
horror.  Not  that  he  cared  a  centime  for  their  hor- 
rors or  their  prayers,  but  because  it  were  not  well 
to  irritate  unduly  the  King,  by  doings  which  he 
might  not  countenance,  if  brought  formally  to  his 
attention — though  the  Duke  was  well  aware  that 
Frederick  troubled  himself  not  at  all  how  he  went 
to  the  devil,  nor  when,  save  that  the  quicker  he 
went  the  better. 

And  so  it  was,  that  he  had  not  hesitated  to  bring 
with  him  the  woman  of  raven  hair  and  dead-white 
cheek,  and  to  install  her  in  the  gorgeous  suite  in 
the  west  wing  of  the  Ferida,  where  others,  as  frail 
but  far  less  fair,  had  been  before  her — and  the 
world  never  the  wiser — just  as  now  it  was  not  the 
wiser  as  to  Madeline  Spencer's  presence.  The  time 
was  not  yet  for  her  to  show  herself,  and  in  the 
meantime  she  had  remained  secluded;  she  was  too 
well  known  in  Dornlitz  to  escape  recognition;  and 
even  Lotzen  dared  not,  at  this  exigency,  so  spurn 
public  sentiment  as  to  sponsor  the  adventuress 
whom  he  had  procured  to  pose  as  wife  to  the  Arch- 
duke Armand. 

She  had  come  with  him  to  the  Capital  with  deep 
misgiving,  and  only  after  much  urging  and  jeweled 
caresses;  though  not  the  least  of  the  inducements 
was  the  hope  of  annoying  the  Princess  Dehra — for 
whom  she  had  conceived  the  most  violent  hate.  By 


174  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

herself  it  would,  of  course,  have  been  a  fatulously 
foolish  hate,  but  with  Lotzen,  and  under  the  pe- 
culiar situation  existing  at  Court,  there  was  a 
chance — and  it  was  this  chance  she  meant  to  play 
for  and  to  seize.  And  besides,  it  promised  the  ex- 
citement and  ample  financial  returns  that  were  the 
mainsprings  of  her  existence. 

And  though  it  fretted  her  beyond  measure  to 
dawdle  in  idleness  and  tiresome  inanition,  even  in 
the  luxury  of  the  Ferida,  yet  she  endured  it  with 
amazing  equanimity ;  and  amused  herself,  the  while, 
by  flirting  with  the  Duke's  friends,  when  the  Duke 
was  not  in  presence — and  sometimes  when  he  was. 
And  then,  when  he  sulked  or  stormed,  a  soft  arm 
would  slip  around  his  neck,  and  a  pair  of  red  lips 
smile  close  to  his  face ;  and,  presently,  he  was  caress- 
ing the  one,  and  pleading  for  the  others — and  there 
was  peace,  and  on  her  terms.  The  marvel  of  it  all, 
was  how  she  held  him — as  no  woman  had  ever  held 
him  hitherto;  she  made  no  pretense  of  love,  nor 
tried  for  it  from  him — a  pleasant  camaraderie  was 
all  she  gave,  and  all  she  asked  for;  favor- free  to- 
day, favor-cold  to-morrow ;  elusive  as  a  moon-beam ; 
fickle  as  the  wind ;  tempting  and  alluring  as  a  ves- 
tal; false  and  faithless  as  the  Daughter  of  the 
Foam. 

And  though  Lotzen  knew  it — and  knew  it  well — 
for  she  had  told  him  frankly  what  she  was  and 
what  she  lived  for,  yet  her  fascinations  negatived 
her  words;  while  her  indifference  as  to  whether  she 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  175 

stayed  or  went — and  which  he  was  thoroughly  aware 
was  not  assumed — only  captivated  him  the  more, 
who  had  been  used  to  easy  conquest  and  clinging 
hearts. 

He  had  explained  fully  to  her  the  complication 
produced  by  the  disappearance  of  the  Laws,  re- 
counting in  detail  the  scene  at  the  Royal  Council, 
when  the  compromise  was  forced ;  but  as  to  Adolph 
and  the  incidents  of  the  King's  library  he  said 
never  a  word.  To  her  prompt  query,  as  to  how  he 
accounted  for  the  Book's  disappearance,  he  an- 
swered that  the  American,  knowing  it  contained  no 
decree  in  his  favor,  had  stolen  and,  doubtless,  de- 
stroyed it — and  that  the  Princess  Royal's  story  was 
a  clever  lie — "  just  such  a  lie  as  you,  yourself, 
would  have  told  for  me,  in  a  similar  exigency,"  he 
had  added;  and  she  had  smiled  an  acquiescence — 
thinking,  the  while,  that  for  the  American  she 
would  have  done  much  more  than  lie,  and  gladly,  if 
he  would  but  let  her. 

Since  the  day  when,  as  Colonel  Spencer's  bride, 
she  had  come  to  the  old  fort  on  the  Missouri,  and 
had  first  set  eyes  on  Captain  Armand  Dalberg, 
there  was  but  one  man  who  might  have  stirred  her 
cold  heart  to  an  honest  beat;  and  though  he  had 
ignored  her  overtures,  and  finally  had  scorned  them 
with  scarring  words,  yet  it  had  not  entirely  killed 
the  old  desire;  and  even  now,  after  all  that  she  had 
done  against  him,  and  was  ready  yet  to  do,  a  sin- 
gle word  from  him  would  have  brought  her  to  his 


176  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

side.  Yet,  because  she  knew  that  word  would  never 
come,  and  that  another  woman  claimed  him  honestly 
and  without  fear,  she  would  go  on  with  her  part; 
and  all  the  more  willingly  that  it  enabled  her  to 
strike  through  him  the  woman  who  had  won  him. 

And  now,  after  the  two  weeks  quiescence,  the 
restless  fever  was  upon  her,  and  the  Duke  had 
caught  the  signs;  next  would  come  the  call  to 
Paris;  and  he  knew  the  second  call  would  win.  If 
he  were  to  hold  her,  it  was  time  to  start  the  cam- 
paign she  had  come  to  assist — and  that  very  day 
was  his  visit  to  the  Summer  Palace,  and  the  sudden 
determination  of  his  plan.  But  when,  in  the  even- 
ing, he  had  gone  to  her  apartments  to  tell  her  of 
it,  and  to  discuss  the  opening  moves,  she  had  sent 
him  the  message  that  she  was  indisposed  and  had 
retired,  and  that  he  should  breakfast  with  her  the 
next  day. 

And  in  the  morning  he  had  found  her  in  her 
boudoir,  in  the  most  enticing  of  soft  blue  gowns, 
and  no  touch  of  dishabille  nor  carelessness  in  all 
her  attire,  from  the  arrangement  of  the  raven  hair 
to  the  shoeing  of  the  slender  feet.  Madeline  Spen- 
cer was  much  too  clever  to  let  a  man  see  her  in 
negligee  when,  to  him,  the  hour  for  negligee  was 
passed. 

She  met  him  with  a  smile,  and  let  him  kiss  her 
cheek. 

"  I  am  sorry  about  last  night,  dear,"  she  said, 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  177 

"  but  I  was  quite  too  wretched  to  see  even  you — 
and  I  wanted  to  see  you." 

He  sat  on  the  arm  of  the  chair,  playing  softly 
with  her  hair. 

"  I  wish  I  could  believe  that  it  was  just  I  you 
wanted,"  he  said. 

She  shot  him  an  upward  glance  of  her  siren  eyes. 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  this  business  that 
we  have  on  hand,"  she  continued ;  "  and,  Ferdi- 
nand, if  you  wish  my  aid,  you  must  get  busy — I 
can't  endure  this  stagnation  longer.  I  'm  a  wild 
beast  that  would  die  in  confinement;  I  need  the 
jungle  and  the  air  and  sky." 

He  laughed,  and  pinched  her  ear. 

"Your  jungle,  little  one,  is  the  Champs  Elysees 
and  cher  Maxim's;  la  chaleur  communicative  du 
banquet; — your  air  and  sky,  the  adulation  of  the 
masculine  and  the  stare  of  admiring  eyes." 

"  Yes,  it  is ;  and  I  've  been  away  a  long,  long 
time;  yet  I  want  to  stay  with  you  until  this  work 
is  ended — because  "  (taking  his  hand  and  smiling" 
up  at  him )  "  you  have  been  good  to  me,  and  be- 
cause it  promises  excitement  of  a  novel  sort — only, 
dear,  do  let  us  be  at  it." 

A  door  swung  back.  "  Madam  is  served !  "  came 
the  monotone. 

As  they  went  in,  the  Duke  slipped  his  arm  around 
her  slender  waist.  . 

"  We  're  going  to  be  at  it,"  he  said ;  "  send  the 
12 


178  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

servants  away  and  I  '11  tell  you  my  plan ;  it  was  for 
that  I  came  last  evening." 

"  Now,  tell  me !  "  she  exclaimed,  as  the  door  closed 
behind  the  footman. 

"  We  are  going  back  to  Lotzenia,"  he  said. 

She  paused,  and  the  black  eye-brows  went  up. 

"We?"  she  inflected. 

He  nodded.  "  That  is  where  the  game  will  be 
played  out." 

"  And  why  not  here,  in  Dornlitz  ?  " 

"  Because  it 's  easier  there — and  surer." 

She  made  to  shiver.  "  So,  for  me,  it 's  only  out 
of  a  charming  mausoleum  into  a  common  grave." 

He  laughed.  "  It  will  be  a  rarely  lively  grave, 
my  dear  Madeline,  and,  I  promise  you,  exciting 
enough  for  even  your  starved  nerves." 

"When  do  we  start?" 

"  Soon,  I  trust — there  is  work  to  be  done  here 
first." 

"And  I  may  help?" 

"  Yes,  you  may  help — the  plan  needs  you." 

"  And  the  plan  ?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

"  The  very  simplest  I  could  devise,"  said  he ;  "  to 
lure  the  American  to  Lotzenia  and 

She  smiled  comprehendingly.  "  Why  take  all 
that  trouble — why  not  kill  him  in  Dornlitz?  " 

He  flung  up  a  cautioning  hand.  "  Softly,  my 
dear,  softly — and  not  so  blunt  in  the  words — and 
as  I  said,  it 's  easier  there  and  surer." 

"  But  it  would  be  so  much  prettier  to  play  the 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  179 

game  out  here,"  she  half  objected;  "and  more  ac- 
cordant with  your  taste,  I  fancy." 

"  Very  true,"  said  he.  "  It 's  always  more  ar- 
tistic to  run  a  man  through  with  a  rapier  than  to 
kill  him  with  a  club ;  but  in  this  business  it 's  the 
end  alone  that  concerns  me.  Yet  the  primary  es- 
sential, in  either  method,  is  opportunity  and 
freedom  of  movement;  neither  is  here;  both  will 
be  plentiful  in  the  North." 

"  And,  of  course,  at  your  friendly  invitation,  the 
American  will  gladly  accompany  you  to  Lotzenia 
and  permit  himself  to  be — offered  up." 

"Practically   that." 

An  impatient  smile  shone  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  do  not  understand,  Ferdinand,  why  you  per- 
sist  in  under-rating  your  enemy ;  it 's  the  climax  of 
bad  generalship.  The  American  may  be  reckless 
and  a  bit  headstrong,  but  assuredly  he  is  not  a 
fool." 

The  Duke  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  He  can 
fight,  I  grant  you — but  he  can't  scheme  nor  plot — 
nor  detect  one,  though  it 's  as  evident  as  the  sun." 

"  And  yet — "  she  waved  her  hand  toward  the 
Epsau — "  it  is  he  you  're  fighting  for  the  Crown." 

"  Luck !  "  he  scoffed — "  a  dotard  King,  a  damn 
Huzzar  uniform,  and  a  silly  girl." 

"  Is  his  luck  any  the  less  now,  with  the  girl 
Regent  of  Valeria  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Possibly   not,"   he   said ;   "  and   hence   another 


180  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

reason  for  the  mountains — she  won't  be  with  him 
there." 

She  gave  it  up — she  had  tried  repeatedly,  but 
it  was  impossible,  it  seemed,  to  arouse  him  to  Ar- 
mand's  real  ability — when  hate  rides  judgment, 
reason  lies  bound  and  gagged. 

"  Why  should  the  Governor  of  Dornlitz  go  to 
far  off  Lotzenia  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  glanced  around  the  room  suspiciously;  then 
scribbled  a  line  in  pencil  on  his  cuff  and  held  it 
over  to  her. 

She  read  it,  and  looked  at  him  in  puzzled  inter- 
rogation. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  she  said ;  "  you  told  me 
that  he " 

He  had  anticipated  her  question. 

"  So  I  did,"  he  interrupted  quickly,  "  but  I  have 
no  proof;  and  lately  I  have  come  to  doubt  it.  At 
any  rate,  this  will  disclose  the  truth.  If  my  scheme 
works,  he  will  follow  into  Hell  itself." 

'*  A  strikingly  appropriate  name  for  your  Cas- 
tle, dear,"  she  laughed. 

He  nodded  and  smiled. 

"  And  what  if  the  scheme  does  n't  work  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  In  that  event,  the  laugh  is  on  me,  and  we  must 
devise  another  means  to  draw  him  there." 

"  Which  will  be  quite  fruitless,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  Then  we  will  fight  it  out  here,"  he  said,  "  and 
I  shall  doubly  need  you." 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  181 

"  And  you  '11  get  me,  doubly  welcome."  .... 
She  lit  a  cigarette  and  passed  it  to  him;  and  lit 
another  for  herself.  "  Now,  how  are  we  to  con- 
trive to  set  the  trap  ?  " 

A  footman  entered  and  handed  the  Duke  a  visit- 
ing card,  with  something  penciled  on  it 

"  It 's  Bigler,"  he  said,  "  and  he  asks  to  be 
admitted  immediately — he 's  always  in  a  rush.  Tell 
Count  Bigler  I  '11  see  him  presently." 

She  stayed  the  servant  with  a  motion;  she  did 
not  intend  to  lose  Lotzen  until  he  had  told  her  the 
whole  plot. 

"Why  not  have  him  here?"  she  asked;  "and 
then  let  him  go." 

"  By  all  means,  if  you  will  permit,"  and  he 
nodded  to  the  footman. 

Most  women  would  have  called  Count  Bigler 
handsome;  and  not  a  few  men,  as  well.  He  was 
red-headed  and  ruddy,  with  clean-cut  features, 
square  chin,  and  a  laughing  mouth,  that  contrary 
to  Valerian  fashion  was  not  topped  by  a  moustache. 
Since  boyhood,  he  had  been  Lotzen's  particular  com- 
panion and  intimate;  and,  as  is  usual  in  such  in- 
stances, he  was  almost  his  antipode  In  temperament 
and  manner. 

He  saluted  the  Duke  with  easy  off-handedness, 
and  bent  with  deferential  courtesy  over  Mrs. 
Spencer's  hand;  but  pressing  it  altogether  more 
tightly  than  the  attitude  justified, 


182  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

She  answered  with  the  faintest  finger  tap  and  a 
quick  smile,  and  waved  him  to  a  chair. 

"  If  I  'm  de  trop,"  she  said,  "  I  '11  vacate." 

"  Madame  is  never  de  trop,  to  me,"  he  answered, 
taking  the  cigarette  she  offered  and  smiling  down 
at  her,  through  the  smoke,  as  he  lit  it. 

When  he  turned  to  sit  down,  the  left  side  of  his 
face  was,  for  the  first  time,  toward  the  Duke,  show- 
ing the  ear  bound  with  strips  of  surgeon's  plaster. 

"  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  man,"  said  he,  "  what 
have  you  been  doing  with  yourself?  " 

The  Count  laughed.  "  Trading  the  top  of  my 
ear  for  a  day  or  two  more  of  life." 

"  Duel?  "  Lotzen  asked. 

"  Yes,  after  a  fashion,  but  not  exactly  under  the 
code." 

The  primeval  woman  stirred  in  Mrs.  Spencer. 

"  The  story,  Count,  the  story ! "  she  demanded, 
coiling  her  lithe  arms  behind  her  head,  and  leaning 
far  back  in  languorous  gracefulness. 

"  It 's  the  story  that  brings  me  here  so  early," 
he  replied. 

The  Duke  was  frowning.  Duelling  was  a  serious 
crime  in  Valeria,  even  in  the  Army,  and  it  was  a 
particularly  unfortunate  moment  for  Bigler  to 
offend;  and  especially  as  only  the  Governor  of 
Dornlitz  or  the  Regent  could  save  him  from 
punishment. 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  get  into  such  a  mess 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  183 

just  at  this  time?"  he  asked  sharply.  "Was  any 
one  killed?" 

The  Count  nodded.  "Four,  I  think;  I  didn't 
stay  to  examine  them." 

"  Four !  four !     God,  man,  was  it  a  massacre  ?  " 

"  Almost — I  'm  the  sole  survivor  on  your  side." 

Lotzen's  frown  grew. 

"  On  my  side ! "  he  echoed. 

"  I  was  assuming  to  act  for  you,"  'Bigler 
explained. 

"For  me! — who  was  on  the  other  side?" 

"  The  American — the  American  and  Bernheim." 

For  a  space  the  Duke  smoked  in  silence;  then  he 
gave  a  faint  chuckle. 

"  They  came  rather  close  to  making  it  five,  did  n't 
they?"  He  touched  his  ear — "Bernheim,  I  sup- 
pose? ...  Of  course,  the  American  would  have 
made  it  five.  What  a  fool  you  are,  Bigler,  to  go 
into  such  a  thing  without  telling  me." 

"  I  'm  telling  you  now,"  the  Count  grinned. 

"  And  I  'm  exceedingly  grateful  to  my  dear 
cousin  for  leaving  you  to  tell  it.  It 's  the  only 
service  he  has  ever  done  me.  I  assume  it  is  n't 
necessary  to  ask  if  you  got  him — or  even  wounded 
him?"  * 

"  Quite   unnecessary." 

Madeline  Spencer  had  been  chafing  at  the  delay; 
now  she  arose,  and,  going  over  to  a  divan,  sank 
sinuously  among  the  pillows,  one  trim,  blue  silk 
ankle  shimmering  far  below  her  skirts. 


184  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  If  you  were  as  slow  in  the  fight,  Count,  as  you 
are  in  getting  at  the  story,"  she  remarked,  "  it 's 
a  wonder  to  me  how  Bernheim  missed  you." 

Both  men  laughed,  and  Bigler's  glance  lingered 
a  moment  in  open  admiration. 

The  Duke  swung  his  hand  toward  her. 

"  Madame  grows  impatient,"  he  said.  "  Pro- 
ceed, Monsieur  Edmund." 

The  Count  took  a  fresh  cigarette. 

"  It  was  this  way,"  he  began,  pivoting  his  chair 
around  on  one  back  leg,  so  that  he  would  have  both 
his  auditors  within  his  direct  vision.  "  The  two 
weeks  we  were  bound  to  idleness  mourning  for  old 
Frederick,  I  spent  in  watching  the  American.  I 
soon  discovered  that  it  was  his  custom,  every  few 
days,  to  visit,  very  late  at  night,  his  friend,  the 
American  Ambassador,  and  that  he  invariably  not 
only  walked  the  entire  distance  from  the  Epsau 
and  back,  but  also  went  unattended.  It  seemed  to 
me  very  simple  to  waylay  him,  some  night  on  his 
return;  the  streets  were  usually  deserted  then,  and 
he  should  be  an  easy  victim,  if  set  upon  by  enough 
men  to  assure  success.  And  I  had  about  arranged 
the  matter,  when  I  chanced  to  remember  that  the 
De  Saures  were  still  in  the  country  and  their  house 
closed.  It  stands  far  back  from  the  Avenue,  you 
know,  and  a  safer  and  surer  plan  occurred  to  me : — 
I  would  lure  him  into  this  house,  and  leave  him 
there  for  burial.  In  the  dark,  my  four  rogues 
could  put  enough  steel  through  him,  from  behind, 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  185 

to  insure  his  quick  demise.  I  proposed  to  take  no 
chances  with  such  a  swordsman  by  giving  him  a 
light;  and  besides,  it  was  just  as  well  that  the  men 
should  not  know  their  victim.  Nor  did  they  ever 
see  me  unmasked.  For  decoy,  one  of  the  rogues 
procured  a  woman " 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  Duke, — "  one  of  their 
women ! " 

"  It  was  voice,  not  beauty,  I  wanted — the  cry  of 
a  female  for  help. 

Lotzen  nodded  and  smiled.     "  Rather  clever." 

"  For  a  week  we  met  at  the  house  at  eleven 
o'clock  every  night,  but  the  American  did  n't  go 
to  the  Embassy.  Then,  last  night,  at  twelve,  he 
went,  and  old  Bernheim  with  him.  That  did  n't 
bother  me  much,  however,  and  we  waited  for  their 
return.  They  came  about  two,  through  driving 
rain  and  wind ;  and  the  woman  played  her  part  per- 
fectly. Such  piteous  cries  I  never  heard.  *  Don't 
strike  me  again — don't  strike  me  again — help — 
help ; '  reiterated  in  tones  that  would  have  moved 
even  your  heart,  my  dear  Duke.  I  was  concealed 
near  the  gate  and  they  moved  me — and  they  caught 
the  American  instantly,  though  Bernheim  scented 
danger  and  protested  vigorously.  '  It  may  be  a 
trap  of  Lotzen's,'  he  warned.  *  Damn  Lotzen ! ' 
was  the  prompt  answer,  as  the  girl  wailed  again — I 
tell  you  she  was  an  artist  at  it ;  she,  herself,  must  be 
used  to  beatings.  They  ran  up  the  path  to  the 
house,  I  following;  and  here  the  whole  scheme  was 


186  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

almost  upset  by  some  fool  having  left  the  front  door 
open.  Bernheim  protested  that  it  proved  the  trap; 
and  even  the  American  was  hesitating,  when  again 
the  woman  wailed.  That  settled  it;  and  I  dashed 
around  the  house  to  the  rear  entrance. 

"  My  purpose  was  to  draw  them  upstairs  and 
finish  the  job  there.  They  searched  the  first  floor — 
we  were  on  the  second — then,  leaving  all  the  electric 
lights  burning,  they  ascended — and  we  went  down 
the  back  way,  turned  off  the  lights  and  closed  and 
locked  the  doors.  They  promptly  extinguished  the 
lights  they  had  set  going  above,  and  the  house  was 
in  the  densest  darkness  I  have  ever  known.  We 
could  hear  them  whispering  in  the  upper  hall;  and 
I  sent  two  of  my  rogues  up  the  front  stairs  and  led 
the  others  up  the  rear,  intending  to  snap  an  elec- 
tric torch  for  the  instant  it  would  require  to  do 
our  work;  and  which  seemed  all  the  easier  because 
I  had  observed,  at  the  gate,  that  the  American  was 
without  his  sword.  When  we  were  half  way  up, 
I  heard  a  crash  from  the  front,  followed  by  the 
American's  laugh.  I  paused  an  instant,  then  hur- 
ried on,  and  fell  over  a  chair  that  had  been  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  stairs.  Everything  remained 
quiet,  however,  and  we  went  forward  into  the  hall. 
My  finger  was  on  the  key  of  the  torch  when  there 
came  a  shrill  whistle,  and  the  lights  went  on.  I 
saw  Bernheim  in  front  of  us,  pistol  in  hand;  it 
flashed,  and  the  man  on  my  left  went  down.  At 
the  same  moment,  the  American  sprang  at  us  from 


THE  SOLE  SURVIVOR  187 

behind  and  felled  the  other  fellow  with  the  hilt  of 
a  sword — where  he  got  it  the  devil  only  knows.  As 
for  me,  I  admit  I  was  dazed  with  surprise ;  I  heard 
the  American  offer  me  the  choice :  pistol  or  sword — 
I  took  the  pistol.  I  had  retained  enough  sense  to 
know  I  had  n't  the  faintest  chance  with  him.  The 
front  steps  were  near;  I  made  the  leap  of  my  life, 
and  plunged  down  them.  Bernheim  fired  three 
times — this  (indicating  his  ear)  was  the  last,  the 
first  two  missed." 

"  What  had  become  of  your  other  pair  of 
rogues?  "  the  Duke  asked. 

"  Dead.  I  fell  over  them  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs,  buried  under  a  huge  chest." 

"  Flung  upon  them,  doubtless,  as  they  were  as- 
cending," said  Lotzen. 

Bigler  nodded.  "  That  was  the  crash  I  heard." 
He  took  another  cigarette,  and  lighted  it  care- 
fully. "  And  that,  madame,  is  the  story,"  he  ended, 
looking  at  Mrs.  Spencer. 

She  flashed  him  a  bright  smile. 

"  The  nicest  thing  about  it,  my  dear  Count,"  she 
said,  "  is  that  you  are  here  to  tell  it." 

"  Even  if  he  does  n't  in  the  least  deserve  to  be 
here,"  the  Duke  interjected.  "  Such  a — my  dear 
Edmund,  don't  do  it  again.  You  're  too  young 
and  innocent  to  die.  Leave  the  strategy  to  me — 
and  my  lady,  yonder;  we  will  give  you  enough  of 
fighting  in  due  time — and  soon." 


188  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  Count  laughed  in  good  natured  impertur- 
bability. 

"  I  'm  done,"  he  said  frankly.  "  I  'm  ready  to 
take  orders  from  you  or  my  lady — particularly 
from  my  lady." 

The  Duke  gave  him  a  quick,  sharp  glance. 

"  The  orders  will  come  through  me,"  he  said, 
rather  curtly. 

Madeline  Spencer  held  out  her  hand  to  the  Count. 

"  When  His  Highness  grows  jealous,"  she  said, 
languidly  arising  and  shaking  down  her  skirts, 
"  it 's  time,  you  know,  for  you  to  go — come  back 
when  he  is  not  here;"  and  with  a  provoking  smile 
at  the  Duke,  she  flung  the  Count  a  kiss — "  for  your 
wounded  ear,  my  lord." 


XIII 

IN    THE    JAPONICA    WALK 

THE  Regent  signed  the  last  document,  and,  push- 
ing it  across  the  table,  laid  aside  the  pen. 

"  How  much  better  it  would  be  if  that  were 
'  Armand,  Rex,'  "  she  said. 

The  Prime  Minister  was  putting  up  his  papers. 

"  And  better,  still,  if  it  were  *  Dehra,  Regina,'  " 
he  returned,  closing  the  portfolio  and  locking  it. 

She  made  a  gesture  of  dissent. 

"  There  would  be  no  need  for  the  Book,  then," 
he  continued ;  "  and  no  danger  of  Lotzen  becoming 
king.  It  is  God's  blessing  on  Valeria  that  you  were 
you,  and  could  assume  the  government — otherwise, 
we  would  have  had  civil  war.  Your  Highness  has 
no  conception  of  the  sentiment  in  the  Army ;  it  is 
two  to  one  for  the  Archduke;  but  Lotzen's  third  is 
unduly  powerful  because  of  a  coterie  of  high  offi- 
cers, who  are  jealous  of  the  *  American,'  as  he  is 
styled,  and  their  readiness  to  precipitate  a  contest ; 
and  Armand's  contingent  is  unduly  weak,  because 
they  do  not  feel  assured  that  he  would  countenance 
war.  In  a  word,  the  rogues  and  rascals  are  for 
Lotzen — they  recognize  a  kindred  leader  and  the 
opportunity  for  high  reward.  But  they  would  ac- 
cept you  for  Queen  with  enthusiasm — even  rogues 

189 


190  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

and  rascals  love  a  pretty  woman  who  can  rule  them 
with  a  heavy  hand." 

Dehra  looked  at  her  hand,  slender,  soft,  small, 
and  smiled. 

Count  Epping  nodded.  "  Very  pretty,"  he  said, 
"  very  pretty,  but  it 's  a  Dalberg  hand,  you  know 
— and  they  know,  too." 

"  And  as  they  shall  experience,"  she  remarked, 
eyelids  narrowed  just  a  trifle,  "  if  they  show  a  dis- 
position to  forget  it And  in  the  ex- 
perience they  may  learn  that  the  Governor  of 
Dornlitz  also  has  a  Dalberg  hand." 

"  There  will  be  no  civil  war  now,"  said  the 
Count ;  "  your  regency  has  quite  obviated  any  such 
catastrophe;  and  if  the  Book  be  found,  its  decision 
will  be  accepted  without  protest  by  the  Army,  as 
well  as  by  the  people  at  large.  What  I  fear  is  the 
contest  in  the  House  of  Nobles — the  margin  there 
will  be  very  narrow,  I  apprehend ;  and  that  involves 
high  feeling  and  fierce  antagonism  and  smoldering 
family  hate  fanned  into  fire;  and  then,  if  Lotzen 
lose,  the  new  king  may  have  a  chance  to  show  his 
hand." 

"  Armand  the  First  will  show  it,  never  fear," 
she  said,  with  the  pride  a  woman  always  has  for 
him  she  loves. 

"  I  have  no  fear,"  he  said ;  "  if  I  had,  I  would 
not  help  to  make  him  king — yet,  if  I  may  be  per- 
mitted, Henry  the  Fifth  would  be  a  title  far  more 
pleasing  to  the  nation  than  Armand  the  First.  He 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  191 

bears  the  Great  Henry's  features,  let  him  bear  his 
name,  as  well." 

She  sprang  up. 

"  He  shall,  he  shall ! "  she  exclaimed ;  "  he  will 
do  it  for  me,  I  know." 

The  old  Count's  face  softened  in  one  of  its  rare 
smiles. 

"  He  would  be  a  poor  sort  of  man,  indeed,  my 
lady,  who  would  deny  anything  to  you,"  he  said, 
and  in  his  stately,  old-fashioned  way  he  bent  and 
kissed  her  hand. 

As  he  arose,  the  Princess  suddenly  slipped  an 
arm  around  his  neck,  and  for  the  briefest  moment 
her  soft  lips  rested  on  his  forehead. 

The  Prime  Minister  kept  his  face  lowered;  when 
he  raised  it,  the  tears  still  trembled  in  his  eyes. 

"  Don't  tell  the  Archduke,"  she  laughed  gayly, 
seeing  how  he  was  moved. 

"  No,"  said  he,  laughing  with  her  now,  "  I  '11 
not  tell  him — and  lose  all  chance  for  another." 

"  I  '11  give  you  another  now,"  she  cried,  and, 
springing  on  the  chair  beside  him,  she  kissed  him 
on  the  cheek.  "  Now  go — you  've  had  more  than 
your  share — but  you  shall  have  a  third  the  day 
Armand  is  king." 

He  took  her  hand,  and  gallantly  helped  her 
down. 

"  You  give  me  another  object  in  life,"  he  said. — 
"  I  shall  claim  it  if  the  King  permit." 


192  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  You  may  claim  it,  before  him  and  all  the 
Court,"  she  answered. 

After  Count  Epping  had  gone,  the  Princess 
turned  to  the  table,  and  sitting  on  the  corner,  one 
foot  on  a  chair,  the  other  dangling,  took  up  some 
papers  he  had  left  with  her  for  examination.  In 
the  midst  of  it  the  Duke  of  Lotzen  was  announced. 

"  I  am  engaged,"  she  said  curtly ;  "  I  cannot 
see  him  ....  or  stay,  admit  him." 

After  her  question  and  his  answer  in  the  garden 
near  the  sun-dial,  two  days  before,  she  had  decided 
she  would  receive  him  only  upon  occasions  of  cere- 
mony, when,  to  exclude  him,  would  have  required 
a  special  order;  but  this  unexpected  and,  for  him, 
amazingly  early  visit,  piqued  her  curiosity  too 
sharply  to  resist. 

But  there  was  no  cordiality  in  her  look  nor  atti- 
tude, as  he  bowed  before  her  in  the  intensely  re- 
spectful manner  he  could  assume  so  well.  She  made 
no  change  in  her  position,  nor  offered  him  her  hand, 
nor  smiled;  her  eyes  showed  only  polite  indifference 
as,  for  a  space,  she  let  him  wait  for  leave  to  speak. 
When  she  gave  it,  her  voice  was  as  indifferent  as 
her  eyes. 

"  Well,  Your  Royal  Highness,"  she  said,  "  how 
can  we  serve  you  ?  " 

Not  a  shade  of  her  bearing  had  missed  the  Duke, 
and  though  his  anger  rose,  yet  his  face  bore  only 
a  placid  smile  of  amused  unconcern. 

"  I  desire  the  Regent's  permission,"  he  said,  "  to 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  193 

absent  myself  from  the  country  for  an  indefinite 
period." 

"  It  is  granted — a  year,  if  you  wish." 

The  Duke  laughed  softly,  almost  mockingly, 
indeed. 

"  I  fear  I  may  not  stay  quite  so  long,"  he  an- 
swered, "  much  as  it  would  please  me  to  oblige  you. 
My  presence  will  be  necessary  in  a  certain  ceremony 
in  the  Cathedral,  that  is  fixed  for  a  few  weeks 
short  of  a  year." 

The  Regent's  eyes  narrowed.  "  In  the  crypt, 
you  mean? — your  absence  will,  at  least,  postpone 
the  ceremony — had  you  remained,  I  imagine  it 
would  have  occurred  much  earlier." 

Even  Lotzen's  calmness  was  disturbed  by  such 
a  threat  from  a  woman — and,  momentarily,  his 
color  heightened  and  his  eyes  snapped  in  irritated 
surprise.  Then  he  bowed. 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  been  shown  the  claws  so 
early,"  he  replied  with  sneering  sarcasm ;  "  I  shall 
endeavor  to  keep  beyond  their  reach.  But  I  shall 
do  my  best  to  furnish  the  crypt  another  tenant, 
though  I  will  not  promise  to  put  my  Court  in 
mourning  for  him." 

The  Princess  shrugged  her  shapely  shoulders. 

"  It  is  quite  unnecessary  to  tell  us  what  your  bar- 
baric nature  told  us  long  ago,"  she  replied.  "  When 
do  you  wish  to  depart  ?  " 

"Within  the  week." 

"And  for  where?" 
13 


194  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  For  France — Paris  in  particular." 

"  Very  well — prefer  your  request  through  the 
regular  channel,  as  any  other  officer,  and  I  will 
grant  it ;"  and  with  a  perfunctory  nod,  she  resumed 
her  reading. 

"I  am  permitted  to  withdraw?"  he  asked. 

"  You  are  always  permitted  to  withdraw,"  she 
answered,  without  looking  up. 

"  I  like  your  spirit,  Dehra,"  he  laughed ;  "  you 
and  I  would  make  an  unconquerable  pair;  it  is  a 
pity  you  won't  be  my  queen." 

She  pointed  toward  the  door. 

"  Go,  sir,"  she  ordered,  her  voice  repressed  to 
unusual  softness ;  "go !  nor  present  yourself  again 
until  you  have  received  permission." 

And  with  a  smile  and  a  bow,  he  went;  backing 
slowly  from  the  room,  in  an  aggravation  of  respect. 

He  had  not  come  to  the  Palace  for  leave  to  go 
to  France,  or  any  where  else;  where  he  wanted  to 
go,  and  when,  he  went.  But  his  plans  required  that 
he  be  absolutely  free  and  untrammeled,  and  so  he 
had  done  this  to  insure  himself  against  being  or- 
dered suddenly  to  some  military  duty  that  might 
hamper  his  movements  even  slightly.  And  his  visit 
had  been  doubly  successful — he  had  the  permission, 
and  in  such  a  form  that  he  was  given  the  utmost 
liberty,  and  he  had  also  learned  the  Regent's  real 
attitude  toward  him,  and  that  even  with  her  it 
would  be  a  fight  without  quarter.  What  the  Amer- 
ican would  make  it,  the  dead  bodies  in  the  De  Saure 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK          195 

house  had  indicated  as  plainly  as  spoken  words — 
and,  indeed,  as  such  he  knew  they  had  been  delib- 
erately intended. 

As  he  passed  one  of  the  windows  in  the  corridor, 
he  caught,  far  off  amid  the  trees,  the  sheen  of  a 
white  gown ;  he  paused,  and  presently  he  recog- 
nized Mile.  d'Essolde.  With  a  smile  of  sudden  pur- 
pose, he  went  quickly  down  a  private  stairway  that 
opened  on  the  Park  below  the  marble  terrace,  and, 
eyes  on  the  white  gown,  that  showed  at  intervals 
through  the  bushes,  he  sauntered  toward  it. 

There  was,  to  be  sure,  a  woman  with  raven  hair 
and  dead-white  cheek  at  the  Ferida,  but  there  was 
also  a  woman  yonder,  and  handier,  with  golden  hair 
and  shell-pink  cheek;  and  variety  was  much  to  his 
taste,  at  times — and  the  picture  on  the  stair  still 
lingered  with  him,  fresh  and  alluring.  True,  she 
had  not  received  his  advances  with  that  flattered 
acquiescence  he  was  rather  used  to,  but  he  had  no 
particular  objection  to  temporary  opposition;  it 
gave  zest  to  the  victory — and,  with  him,  victory 
had  been  rarely  lost. 

He  encountered  her  in  a  narrow  path,  walled  in 
by  thick  hedges  of  scarlet  japonica,  turning  the 
corner  suddenly  and  greeting  her  with  a  smile  of 
well  assumed  surprise;  stopping  quite  a  little  way 
off  and  bowing,  his  cap  across  his  heart. 

And  she  stopped,  also;  touched  by  fear  and  re- 
pugnance, as  though  a  snake  lay  in  her  path. 

"  A  happy  meeting,  mademoi  ;elle,"  he  said. 


196  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  For  whom,  sir?"  she  asked,  turning  half  away. 

"  For  me,"  he  laughed,  going  toward  her ;  "  and 
for  you,  too,  I  hope." 

She  put  her  back  to  the  hedge  and  made  no 
answer. 

"  I  owe  you  a  very  abject  apology,  for  the  other 
day,"  he  said,  standing  close  beside  her,  and  lean- 
ing on  his  sword.  "  I  fear  I  was  brutally  rude." 

".There  is  n't  the  least  doubt  of  it,"  she  replied, 
and  made  to  pass  on. 

He  stepped  before  her. 

"And  are  so  still,"  she  added. 

"  Come,  Elise,"  he  smiled,  still  blocking  the  way, 
"  come ;  forgive  me." 

"Very  well,  I  forgive  you,"  she  said,  indiffer- 
ently, and  tried  again  to  pass. 

"  Nonsense,  my  dear,"  catching  her  wrist,  "  put 
a  bit  of  warmth  into  it — and  then  prove  it  by  a 
little  stroll  with  me  toward  the  lake." 

She  recoiled  at  his  touch,  much  as  though  the 
snake  had  stung  her,  and  tried  to  wrench  free, 
tearing  her  thin  gown  and  scarring  her  flesh  on  the 
sharp  thorns  of  the  japonica,  but  making  no  outcry. 

And  this  encouraged  Lotzen;  she  was  playing 
it  very  prettily  indeed — to  yield  presently,  the 
weary  captive  of  superior  strength.  That  a  woman 
might  be  honest  in  her  resistance,  he  was  always 
slow  to  credit ;  but  that  one  should  actually  be  hon- 
est, and  yet  struggle  silently  rather  than  permit 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  197 

others  to  see  her  with  him,  was  quite  beyond  his 
understanding. 

He  glanced  up  and  down  the  path;  no  one  was 
in  sight,  and  the  hedge  was  high — he  would  make 
the  play  a  little  faster.  Hitherto,  he  had  been  con- 
tent to  hold  her  with  a  sure  grip,  and  let  her  fling 
about  in  futile  strivings ;  now  he  laughed,  and  drew 
her  slowly  toward  him,  his  eyes  fixed  significantly 
upon  her  flushed  face  and  its  moist  red  lips,  parted 
with  the  breath- throbs. 

"  Where  shall  I  kiss  you  first,  little  one  ?  "  he 
asked —  "  on  the  mouth,  or  a  cheek,  or  the  gleaming 
hair?  " — He  held  her  back  an  instant  in  survey. 
"  Coy  ? — too  coy  to  answer — come,  then, 
let  it  be  the  lips  now,  and  the  others  later,  by  the 
lake." 

She  had  ceased  to  struggle,  and  her  blue  eyes 
were  watching  the  Duke  in  fascinated  steadiness. 
To  him,  it  signified  victory  and  a  willing  maid — 
he  took  a  last  glance  at  the  path — then  with  a 
cry  and  a  curse  he  dropped  her  wrist  and  sprang 
back,  wringing  his  hand,  the  blood  gushing  from 
a  ragged  wound  across  its  back,  where  Elise  d'Es- 
solde's  teeth  had  sunk  into  the  flesh. 

And  she,  with  high-held  skirts,  was  flying  toward 
the  Palace. 

He  sprang  in  pursuit — and  stopped;  she  would 
pass  the  hedge  before  he  could  overtake  her;  and 
the  open  Park  was  no  place  for  love  making  of  the 
violent  sort — nor  with  a  wound  that  spurted  red. 


198  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  business  would  have  to  bide,  for  the  present. 
.  .  .  .  Over  toward  the  terrace  he  saw  the 
flutter  of  a  white  gown. 

"  Damn  the  little  cat ! "  he  muttered ;  "  she  shall 
pay  me  well  for  this." 

Elise  d'Essolde,  spent  with  running,  her  brain 
in  a  whirl,  her  hair  dishevelled,  weak-kneed  and 
trembling  now  with  the  reaction,  reached  the  marble 
steps  near  the  pergola  and  sank  on  the  lowest,  just 
as  Colonel  Moore  came  springing  down  them,  his 
eyes  toward  the  japonica  walk,  searching  for  the 
girl  in  a  white  gown  whom  he  was  to  have  met 
there  half  an  hour  ago. 

And  he  would  have  passed,  unseeing,  had  she  not 
spoken. 

"Ralph!"  she  said,  "Ralph!" 

He  swung  around. 

"  Elise !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  I  'm  sorry  to  be  so 
late — I  was — heaven,  child,  what  has  happened  ?  " 

The  sight  of  him,  and  the  sound  of  his  voice, 
had  calmed  her  instantly  and  put  her  pulse  to  nor- 
mal beating;  and  now  that  she  was  with  him,  safe 
and  unscathed,  the  coquette  in  her  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  to  torment  him. 

"  Another  kept  the  rendezvous,"  she  answered, 
with  affected  naivete. 

He  pointed  to  the  torn  gown. 

"And  that?"  he  asked. 

"  I  did  it." 

"And  the  hair?" 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  199 

"  The  penalty   of  an  ill-arranged  coiffure." 
"  And    the    red   mark   on  your  face — blood,  it 
looks   like." 

"Blood!"  she  cried;  "blood?  where — where?" 
"  On  your  lips — around  the  mouth — " 
The    coquette   vanished — the    horror   of     it     all 
flashed  back  upon  her: — Lotzen's  sybaritic  leer — 
his  easy  confidence  of  assured  success — the  touch  of 
his  loathsome  hand  to  her  face — the  sickening  sen- 
sation as  her  teeth  cut  through  his  flesh  and  scraped 
the     bones     beneath — with   a    cry    of   disgust    she 
sprang  up,   swayed   unsteadily,    and    would    have 
fallen  had  not  Moore  caught  her. 

*'  Water !  "  she  implored,  "  water !  "  rubbing  her 
lips  frantically  with  her  handkerchief — "  water, 
oh,  water ! " 

Amazed — mystified — alarmed,  he  stood  an  in- 
stant irresolute — then  swinging  her  up,  he  bore 
her  to  where,  near  the  sun-dial,  a  fountain  played 
and  splashed  among  the  giant  ferns.  As  they 
reached  there,  the  nervous  tumult  subsided  as 
quickly  as  it  came,  and  she  slipped  swiftly  out  of 
his  arms,  and  knelt  beside  the  fountain,  the  spray 
powdering  her  hair  with  rainbow  dust.  And  when 
she  had  bathed  her  face  free  of  the  blood-stain 
— though  she  could  not  wash  away  the  red  of  her 
own  embarrassment — she  ventured  to  look  at  him. 

He  met  her  with  a  smile,  that  showed  only  sharp 
concern  and  tenderest  sympathy. 

"  My   child,"  he   said,  taking  her  hand,  in  the 


200  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

most  gentle  deference,  and  holding  it  in  both  of 
his,  "  tell  me  what  has  unstrung  you  so  completely 
— you  who  are  always  merry  and  serene." 

She  gently  freed  her  hand,  and,  gathering  up 
the  trailing  ends  of  her  skirt,  turned  toward  the 
Palace. 

"  If  I  tell  you,"  she  said,  "  promise  me  that  you 
won't  make  a  scene  nor  try  to  punish  him." 

"  Him !  "  he  exclaimed,  stopping  short,  "  him ! 
God  in  Heaven,  was  it  that  devil,  Lotzen  ?  " — he 
seized  her  arm — "  where  is  he — where  is  he?" 

She  smiled  at  him  very  sweetly,  loving  the  anger 
that  blazed  his  face. 

"  I  '11  tell  you  nothing,"  she  answered,  "  so  long 
as  you  are  in  that  humor — your  promise  first." 

"  No — no — I  promised  and  forbore  the  other 
day ;  but  now,  with  that  " — sweeping  his  hand  at 
gown  and  hair — "  I  '11  forbear  no  longer." 

She  moved  on. 

"  Come,  Elise,  who  was  it?  " 

She  gave  him  another  smile,  but  shook  her  head. 

"  Was  it  Lotzen — tell  me,  was  it  ?  " 

Again  the  smile,  and  the  motion  of  refusal. 

"  Very  well,  if  you  won't,  I  '11  find  out  for 
myself." 

"  You  cannot — the  man  won't  tell — and  no  one 
saw  it." 

He  laughed  with  quiet  menace. 

"I'll  find  him,"  he  said;  "I'll  find  him." 

Quick  fear   seized  her.     He  would  succeed,  she 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  201 

knew ;  and  then,  what  would  he  do !  Something, 
doubtless,  to  try  to  force  the  Duke  to  fight;  and 
which  would  result  only  in  his  own  disgrace  and  in 
being  driven  from  the  country.  He  must  not  suffer 
for  her  misfortune — and  Dornlitz,  without  her  dear 
Irishman,  would  be  impossible ;  and  she  was  not  yet 
quite  ready  to  go  with  him.  She  had  told  him  some- 
thing— as  much  as  she  might  with  proper  reserve 
— of  Lotzen's  behavior  that  other  morning;  and 
it  had  been  difficult  enough  to  restrain  him  then. 
Now,  with  the  dishevelled  hair,  and  torn  gown,  and 
blood  on  her  face,  only  his  own  word  would  hold 
him. 

"  Promise  me,  Ralph,  promise  me,"  she  implored ; 
"  there  is  no  reason  for  punishmen* — see,"  holding 
out  her  hand,  "  here  is  the  only  place  he  touched 
me — only  on  the  wrist — I  swear  it,  Ralph — " 

He  took  the  hand,  and  looked  at  the  soft,  blue- 
veined  flesh,  chafed  and  abraded  with  the  pinch  of 
iron  fingers;  and  again  the  rage  of  hate  swept 
him,  and  he  put  the  hand  down  sharply  and  turned 
away  his  head,  unwilling  that  she  should  see  his 
face  while  passion  marked  it. 

She  touched  his  arm,  almost  timidly. 

"  Promise  me,  dear,"  she  said — "  please  promise 
me." 

She  did  not  realize  what  she  had  called  him ;  nor, 
indeed,  did  he,  until  days  afterward,  too  late  to 
turn  it  to  account ;  though  what  he  answered  worked 


202  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

far  more  to  his  profit,  than  had  he  used  the  chance 
offered  by  an  inadvertent  endearment. 

"  I  promise,"  he  said ;  "  I  ought  not  to ;  but  be- 
cause you  wish  it,  I  promise — now  will  you  tell  me  ?  " 

She  looked  up  at  him  gratefully — and  such 
women  as  Elise  d'Essolde  can  say  much  with  their 
eyes.  They  had  mounted  the  steps  and  were  on 
the  terrace;  she  pointed  into  the  Park. 

"It  was  in  the  japonica  walk,"  she  said;  "I 
was  waiting  for  you,  when  Lotzen  came  upon  me, 
seemingly  by  accident " 

"  There  are  no  accidents  with  Lotzen,"  Moore 
broke  in. 

"  It  may  be,  but  he  chose  to  treat  it  so ; — I  tried 
to  pass — he  stopped  me  and  begged  forgiveness 
for  his  brutal  rudeness  of  the  other  day ;  I  forgave 
him  indifferently,  hoping  to  escape  quickly,  and 
tried  again  to  pass.  He  caught  my  wrist,  and 
demanded  a  kiss,  and  that  I  walk  with  him  to  the 
lake.  I  was  close  against  the  hedge,  and  it  was  in 
my  struggles  to  get  free  from  him  that  the  sharp 
thorns  tore  my  gown.  He  let  me  thrash  out  my 
strength,  holding  me  all  the  time  by  this  wrist; 
presently,  when  he  was  about  to  kiss  me  by  main 
force,  I  bit  him  in  the  hand,  and  escaped,  running 
at  top  speed,  and  in  fright  and  exhaustion  collaps- 
ing where  you  found  me That  was 

all,  Ralph,"  she  ended. 

Moore's  intense  repression  found  some  relief  in 
a  long  breath. 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  203 

"All!  "he  said,  rather  huskily;  "all!  .  .  .  . 
well,  all  I  ask  is,  some  day,  to  have  him  against  me, 
sword  in  hand." 

"  Your  promise !  "  she  exclaimed. 

He  smiled  down  at  her.  "  The  promise  holds, 
child,  as  you  well  know ;  but  this  affair  of  the 
Book  may  work  an  opportunity." 

"  If  it  does,  take  it,"  said  she  instantly. 

"  Trust  me,  my  lady,"  he  answered,  as  he  left 
her  at  the  small  door  used  only  by  the  Princess 
and  her  privileged  intimates. 

"  Your  lady  ?  "  she  echoed  across  the  sill — her 
natural  witchery  increased  four-fold,  in  his  eyes, 
by  the  tumbled  hair — "  your  lady — perhaps." 

In  the  hallway,  just  at  her  own  room,  she  met 
the  Princess,  who,  woman-like,  marked  at  a  glance 
every  detail  of  her  disordered  attire. 

"  Good  heaven,  Elise,"  she  exclaimed,  "  what 
has  that  Adjutant  of  mine  been  doing  to  you?  " 

"  Practicing  sword  tricks  on  my  skirt,"  said  she, 
holding  it  up  to  show  the  rents,  "  and  learning  to 
be  un  coiffeur." 

"  He  seems  to  be  as  uncommonly  proficient  in 
the  one  as  he  is  deficient  in  the  other," — then 
looked  at  her  questioningly ;  "  but  seriously,  Elise, 
what  happened? — if  you  care  to  tell  me." 

"  The  Duke  of  Lotzen  found  me  alone  in  the 
japonica  walk." 

The  Princess  struck  her  hands  together  angrily. 

"  Lotzen !   oh,  Lotzen  !  "   she   exclaimed ;   "  some 


204  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

day — did  Moore  come  on  him  there?  If  he  did, 
the  some-day  is  already  here.'* 

"  Fortunately,  no,  since  I   escaped  unharmed." 

"  Unfortunately,  you  mean — it  saved  to  the 
world  another  scoundrel." 

"  And  Ralph  would  be  a  fugitive  in  disgrace," 
said  Mile.  d'Essolde. 

*'  With  the  Lion  and  a  Brigadier's  commission 
as  a  punishment,"  the  Regent  answered. 

"  He  wanted  to  go  back,  and  it  was  I  that  kept 
him." 

"  It 's  a  misfortune — more  than  a  misfortune ; 
it 's  almost  a  calamity — my  dear  Elise,  if  ever  again 
your  Colonel  get  so  proper  an  excuse  to  kill  that 
devil,  pray  don't  intervene." 

"  I  'm  sorry — very  sorry,  I  'm  almost  criminally 
stupid." 

"  Nonsense,  dear,"  said  the  Princess ;  "  there  will 
be  other  chances — meanwhile,  what  happened? 
Bit  him!  Oh,  delightful,  de- 
lightful!" 

The  other  gave  a  shiver  of  repugnance. 

"  Disgusting,  I  should  call  it,  now — I  did  it  in 
the  frenzy  to  be  free.  I  shall  never  forget  the 
horrible  thing." 

"  Nor  will  he — you  've  marked  him  for  life — the 
pity  is  it  was  n't  his  face. — Go  on ;  what  happened 
then?" 

"  The  nasty  brute,"  said  Dehra,  when  she  had 
heard  the  last  detail — "  and  save  for  the  punish- 


IN  THE  JAPONICA  WALK  205 

ment  you  yourself  administered,  he,  for  the  time, 
must  go  scatheless ;  you  cannot  permit  such  a  story 
to  go  through  the  Court  and  the  Clubs;  and  you 
may  be  quite  sure  he  won't  tell  it."     She  struck  her 
hands  together  vehemently.     "  Lotzen !  oh  Lotzen  ! 
— Some  day,  Elise,  your  lover  or  mine  is  going  to 
be  granted  the  blessed  privilege  of  putting  a  sword 
through  his  vile  heart."     She  sprang  up.     "  Come, 
dear,  you  need  diversion — we  will  ride;  and  if  I 
can  get  the  Archduke,  we  '11  take  your  Colonel,  too." 
She    went    to    the    telephone.     .....     <s  Is 

that  you,  Armand?  " — when  the  recall  bell  rang. 
"  This  is  Dehra — Elise  and  I  are  off 
for  a  ride ;  if  you  can  go  with  us,  I  '11  have  Moore 
go,  too Bother  your  important  ap- 
pointment; break  it You  can't? 

...  .  We  can  be  back  by  four  o'clock. 
.  .  .  .  Have  matters  to  see  to;  will  they  oc- 
cupy all  the  afternoon?  ....  They  will? 
.  .  .  .  And  you  need  Moore,  also? — all  right, 
take  him — what  is  your  appointment?  .... 
Can't  tell  me  over  telephone?  ....  Tell  me 
to-night — well,  I  suppose  I  can  wait — come  for  din- 
ner  Yes,  stupid Good- 
bye, dear." 

She  hung  up  the  receiver.  "  You  heard,  Elise ; 
neither  of  them  can  go.  I  should  hate  to  be  a  man 
and  always  busy.  Come,  we  will  go  ourselves,  and 
make  an  afternoon  of  it — and  stop  at  the  Twisted 
Pines  for  tea." 


XIV 

AN    ENTICING    RENDEZVOUS 

THE  failure  of  Colonel  Moore  to  keep  promptly 
his  appointment  with  Mile.  d'Essolde  to  meet  her 
that  morning  in  the  japonica  walk  was  due  to  a 
letter  that  had  come  to  him  in  the  early  post,  and 
which  had  sent  him,  without  a  moment's  delay, 
straight  to  Dornlitz  and  Headquarters;  nor  did  he 
even  stop  to  telephone  the  Archduke,  but  left  it 
for  one  of  the  young  officers  in  the  outer  office  to 
do. 

The  Military  Governor  received  him  at  once,  and 
with  a  look  of  questioning  concern. 

"  Anything  wrong  at  the  Palace  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Nothing,  Your  Highness,"  said  Moore,  with 
his  graceful  salute — so  unlike  Bernheim's  stiff  mo- 
tion— "  nothing ;  I  brought  this  letter ;  it  is  for 
you,  though  sent  to  me." 

The  Archduke  took  it,  without  comment — he 
knew  it  must  be  of  peculiar  importance  to  bring 
Moore  in  person  at  that  hour.  When  he  had  read 
it,  he  looked  carefully  at  the  envelope,  and  turning 
on  his  desk  lamp,  he  spread  the  letter  under  it  and 
examined  it  very  slowly  and  critically;  finally  he 
re-read  it  aloud: — 
206 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS        207 

" '  If  His  Royal  Highness  the  Archduke  Armand 
wish  to  know  the  whereabouts  of  a  certain  Book, 
let  him  be  at  the  Inn  of  the  Twisted  Pines  at  four 
o'clock  this  afternoon.  No  harm  is  intended;  and  as 
a  proof  he  is  privileged  to  bring  as  large  an  escort 
as  he  desires.  If  he  accept,  let  him  stand  in  a  win- 
dow of  his  private  office,  overlooking  the  Avenue,  for 
five  minutes  at  exactly  noon  to-day.  This  is  his  only 
chance;  there  will  be  no  second  letter. 

" '  One  Who  Knows.'  " 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  the  writer  at  least  knows  how 
to  put  up  a  very  enticing  bait — '  privileged  to  bring 
as  large  an  escort  as  he  desires — at  four  o'clock 
this  afternoon — at  the  Inn  of  the  Twisted  Pines ' 
— surely,  there  is  nothing  in  them  to  suggest  dan- 
ger, daggers  or  death I  think  we 

shall  accept,  Colonel ;  what 's  your  notion  about 
it?  " 

"  If  it  is  a  plant,"  he  said,  "  it 's  a  very  clever 
one — and  hence  spells  Lotzen;  but,  for  my  part, 
I  '11  be  charmed  to  go  with  you,  whatever  it  is." 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  Of  course  you  will, 
you  peaceful  citizen,  and  be  sadly  disappointed  if 
there  is  n't  a  head  for  you  to  hit.  It 's  just  as  well 
I  gave  you  to  the  Regent,  you  would  be  leading  me 
into  all  sorts  of  danger." 

"  And  Your  Highness  has  established  such  a 
splendid  reputation  for  avoiding  danger,"  Moore 
laughed. 

"How  so?" 

"  Did  it  never  occur  to  you,  sir,  that  the  man 


208  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

who  would  deliberately  force  a  sword  fight  with  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen,  has  won  a  name  for  reckless  cour- 
age that  he  can  never  live  down  ?  " 

"  But  I  disarmed  him,  thanks  to  your  defense  to 
his  coup." 

"  Small  good  would  my  defense  have  been  to  one 
who  had  n't  the  nerve  and  skill  to  use  it ;  to  fail 
means  death,  as  you,  of  course,  appreciated." 

The  Archduke  nodded.  "  But  the  public  know 
nothing  of  all  that." 

"  Just  so,  sir — all  they  know  is  that  you,  in  sheer 
deviltry,  took  your  chances  against  one  of  the  two 
best  swordsmen  in  Valeria;  that  you  won,  demon- 
strated your  skill,  but  it  didn't  disprove  the  reck- 
lessness." 

"  I  did  not  intend  it  that  way,  Moore ;  I  assure 
you  I  had  no  idea  of  bringing  on  a  fight  that  night 
at  the  Vierle  Masque,  when  I  went  over  to  him  and 
the  Spencer  woman." 

A  broad  grin  overspread  the  Irishman's  hand- 
some face. 

"  You  could  n't  make  a  single  officer  believe  it," 
he  said ;  "  and  seriously,  sir,  I  would  n't  try.  It 
is  just  such  a  thing  as  your  great  ancestor  would 
have  done,  and  it  has  caught  the  youngsters  as 
nothing  else  ever  could;  they  swear  by  you — only 
last  night,  I  heard  a  dozen  of  them  toast  you  up- 
roariously as  the  next  king." 

"  Which  brings  us  back  to  the  Book  and  this 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS        209 

letter,"  Armand  remarked ;  "  shall  we  take  an 
escort?  " 

"  I  'm  a  rather  incompetent  adviser,  you  think ; 
but  the  very  provision  that  you  need  not  go  alone, 
may  be  a  trap  to  lull  suspicion  and  bring  you  there 
with  only  an  Aide  or  an  orderly.  If  the  letter  is 
honest,  it  will  be  no  harm  to  go  well  attended;  if 
it  is  n't  honest,  you  will  lose  nothing,  and  the  es- 
cort may  be  very  useful." 

"  You  are  becoming  a  very  Fabius  in  discretion," 
the  Archduke  smiled ;  "  and  we  will  take  the  escort." 
He  considered  a  moment.  "  Or,  rather,  we  will 
have  it  on  hand  for  need.  I  '11  see  to  it  that  a  troop 
of  Lancers  shall  be  passing  the  Inn  a  little  before 
four  o'clock,  and  halt  there,  while  their  captain 
discusses  the  weather  with  the  landlord.  And  we 
will  ride  up  with  a  great  show  of  confidence  or 
contempt,  whichever  way  the  One  Who  Knows  may 
view  it." 

"Shall  I  tell  Her  Highness  of  the  letter,  and 
your  purpose?  "  Moore  asked. 

"  Not  on  your  life,  man !  She  would  send  a 
Brigade  with  us,  even  if  she  did  n't  forbid  our 
going.  I  '11  get  you  leave  for  the  afternoon — and 
not  a  word  to  Bernheim,  either;  he  would  have  ner- 
vous prostration,  and  load  me  down  with  a  suit  of 
plate-mail  and  a  battle-axe.  You  and  I  will  just 
have  this  little  adventure  on  the  side."  He  got  up. 
"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Moore,  the  pair  of  us  could 
make  a  brisk  fight  of  it  if  we  had  to — hey,  man  ?  " 
14 


210  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  Irishman  laughed  joyously. 

"  And  may  we  have  to,  sir ! "  he  cried ;  "  may 
we  have  to ! " — and  made  as  though  he  were  send- 
ing home  a  finishing  thrust. 

The  Archduke  shook  his  head.  "  There  can't 
be  any  doubt  of  it;  you  would  have  a  most  dan- 
gerous influence  over  me ;  it  is  well  you  're  with 
the  Regent.  But  for  this  afternoon,  I  suggest 
that  you  select  your  favorite  sword,  and  see  that 
it  does  n't  drag  in  the  scabbard — and  half-after- 
two  at  the  Titian  gate." 

Moore  paused  at  the  door. 

"  Of  course,"  said  he,  "  Your  Highness  will  wear 
the  steel  vest." 

"  I  '11  wear  it,"  was  the  answer ;  and  the  Colonel 
went  out,  wondering  at  the  ready  acquiescence, 
where  he  had  anticipated  a  curt  refusal.  Before 
he  had  crossed  the  ante-room,  the  Archduke  called 
him. 

"  I  saw  you  were  surprised,"  said  he.  "  I  had 
a  little  adventure  the  other  night  that  you  don't 
know  about.  Sit  down  a  minute,  and  I  '11  tell  you 
of  Bernheim's  and  my  visit  to  the  De  Saure  house 
at  two  in  the  morning." 

"  I  always  said  Bernheim  was  the  man  for  a  close 
pinch,"  Moore  remarked,  at  the  end,  "  but  he  is 
even  better  than  I  imagined.  "  The  chest  is  simply 
delicious."  He  paused,  in  sudden  thought.  "  And, 
now,  I  reckon  I  understand  why  Count  Bigler  has 
his  ear  done  up  in  surgeon's  plaster.  I  noticed 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS 


it  at  the  Club  yesterday,  and  heard  him  explain  it 
as  a  '  sore.'  To-morrow,  I  '11  ask  him  if  he  caught 
the  '  sore  '  in  the  De  Saure  house." 

"  And  don't  tell  Bernheim,"  said  Armand  ;  "  if 
he  knows  he  had  such  a  good  chance  at  Bigler, 
and  then  missed  him,  it  will  make  him  miserable 
for  days." 

"  Days  !  It  will  sour  him  for  life.  Next  to  the 
Duke  of  Lotzen,  the  Colonel  hates  Bigler  most." 

When  Moore  had  gone,  the  Archduke  took  up 
the  letter  and  envelope  and  again  examined  them; 
looked  for  a  water  mark  —  there  was  none;  went 
over  the  writing  —  man's  or  woman's  he  could  not 
decide;  postmarked  at  the  main  office  in  Dornlitz 
at  ten  P.M.  of  yesterday;  not  a  scintilla  any  place 
to  indicate  the  origin.  Well,  it  did  not  matter; 
he  would  accept  the  offer;  and  there  was  an  end 
of  it,  now  —  the  solution  could  come  this  afternoon 
at  four.  So  he  put  up  the  letter,  and  pushed  the 
button  for  his  secretary,  quite  forgetting  to  tele- 
phone the  Princess  as  to  borrowing  her  Adjutant. 
Then,  after  a  while,  she,  herself,  called  him;  and 
as  they  finished  their  talk,  the  bell  sounded  the  first 
stroke  of  noon. 

He  arose,  and  hooking  the  frogs  of  his  dark 
green  jacket,  the  gold  braid  of  his  marshal's  in- 
signia heavy  on  the  sleeve,  he  went  over  to  the 
large  window,  and  raising  the  sash  stood  in  full 
view  of  the  avenue. 

It  was  the  hour  when  it  was  busiest;  on  the  side- 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


walks  a  pushing,  hurrying,  good-natured  crowd, 
at  their  mid-day  recreation;  in  the  road-way,  a 
tangled  mass  of  vehicles  —  not  of  the  society  folk, 
they  came  three  hours  later,  but  the  wagons,  and 
drays  and  vans  of  trade  and  traffic.  He  recog- 
nized an  occasional  face  in  the  throng,  usually  some 
officer  hurrying  to  Headquarters  for  the  reception 
he  always  held  for  half  an  hour  at  noon.  To-day 
it  would  have  to  start  five  minutes  late. 

Presently  some  one  caught  sight  of  him,  and 
saluted  with  raised  hat;  others  looked  up,  and 
did  the  same;  and  in  a  moment  the  crowd  was 
passing  in  review,  the  men  uncovering,  the  women 
greeting  him  with  smiles.  He  answered  with  bows 
and  hand-waves;  and  if  a  bit  of  satisfied  pride 
stirred  his  heart  and  warmed  his  face,  small  won- 
der. He  was  still  new  in  his  royalty;  and  even 
if  he  were  not,  at  this  critical  period,  such  demon- 
stration of  esteem  by  the  general  populace  would 
have  been  very  gratifying  and  particularly  wel- 
come. And  he  stayed  a  trifle  longer  than  the  re- 
quired time;  then,  with  a  last  bow  and  a  wave  of 
especial  graciousness,  he  turned  away,  and  rang 
for  the  doors  to  be  opened. 

It  was  the  Archduke's  rule  that  entire  informal- 
ity should  be  observed  at  these  affairs,  and  he 
emphasized  it  by  sauntering  around,  speaking  to 
everyone,  and  not  obliging  them  to  go  up  to  him, 
for  a  stiff  bow  and  a  word.  He  laughed  with  this 
group,  joked  with  another,  argued  with  a  third, 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS        213 

until  not  a  man  but  had  come  under  his  eye,  at 
least  for  an  instant,  and  he  under  theirs.  He  had 
begun  the  receptions  soon  after  he  became  Governor 
of  Dornlitz,  more  particularly  for  the  purpose  cf 
getting  acquainted  with  the  officers  on  duty  under 
him;  but  it  was  not  limited  to  them — any  one  was 
welcome — and  the  result  had  been  rather  more  satis- 
factory than  even  he  had  hoped  for.  There  was 
not  an  official  in  his  district  to  whom  he  had  not 
given  a  hearty  hand-shake  and  a  pleasant  word; 
and  as  he  happened  to  have  a  truly  royal  knack  of 
remembering  faces,  and  the  names  that  went  with 
them,  many  a  young  lieutenant — and  indeed,  not 
a  few  higher  in  rank — had  gone  away  with  a  flat- 
tered heart  and  an  ardent  enthusiasm,  openly 
proclaimed,  for  the  Marshal-Prince  who  would  con- 
descend to  remember  an  unimportant  subordinate, 
and  seem  glad  to  see  him  again,  and  to  tell  him  so. 
And  the  contrast  it  offered  to  the  Duke  of  Lotzen's 
ungracious  and  domineering  ways  was  little  to  the 
latter's  advantage;  and  the  fruit  of  it  had  been 
ripening  fast,  within  these  last  few  weeks. 

So,  to-day,  the  room  was  crowded,  and  the  wel- 
come the  Archduke  received  was  such  as  might  have 
made  even  Lotzen  pause  and  think,  had  he  seen  it. 
And  this  thought  occurred  to  Armand;  and  he 
ran  his  eyes  over  the  many  faces,  wondering  which 
of  them  belonged,  to-day,  to  the  Duke's  spy;  for 
that  there  usually  was  one  present  he  had  no  doubt. 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


And  presently  he  found  him;  and,  catching  his 
eye,  motioned  for  him  to  approach. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Monsieur  le  Comte,"  he 
said,  relieving  himself  from  offering  his  hand  by 
readjusting  his  sword.  "  When  was  it  I  saw  you 
last?  " 

Count  Biglcr's  lips  twitched  with  suppressed 
amusement. 

"  Here,  Your  Highness?  "  he  answered,  "  I  am 
ashamed  to  confess  I  have  n't  been  here  for  many 
weeks." 

"  Yet,  surely,  Count,  I  've  seen  you  somewhere 
since  then,  and  very  recently,  too  —  where  was  it  ?  " 

Bigler  feigned  to  think.  —  "  One  sees  Your  High- 
ness so  many  times,  it  is  difficult  to  remember  the 
last  ....  on  the  Field  of  Mars,  last  Mon- 
day, was  n't  it  ?  " 

The  Archduke  shook  his  head.  "  No,"  he  said, 
"  no  ;  it  was  in  the  evening  —  I  recall  that  very  dis- 
tinctly." Then  he  looked  with  deliberate  inference 
at  the  bandaged  ear  —  "  oh,  I  have  it  :  it  was  at  the 
De  Saure's;  you  were  there  when  I  came,  and  you 
left  first  and  —  rather  hurriedly.  It  all  comes  back 
to  me  now.  Surely,  Count,  you  can't  have  forgot 
such  a  pleasant  evening  !  " 

Bigler  assumed  a  look  of  guileless  innocence. 

"  It  is  not  permitted  to  contradict  Your  High- 
ness," he  answered,  "  but  I  may,  I  think,  at  least 
venture  the  truism  :  —  what  one  has  not  remembered, 
one  cannot  forget." 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS        215 

"  Or  restated,  my  dear  Count,  to  be  quite  in 
point: — what  is  inconvenient  to  remember,  is  best 
denied." 

"  Just  as  Your  Highness  will  have  it,"  Bigler 
grinned,  and  impudently  fingered  his  ear. 

"  And  confidentially,  Count,"  said  Armand  smil- 
ingly, "  while  we  are  dealing  in  truisms,  I  give  you 
these  two : — *  every  man's  patience  has  its  limit,' 
and,  *  who  plays  with  fire  gets  burnt ' — fatally." 

Bigler's  grin  broadened. 

"  Is  Your  Highness  the  man  with  the  patience 
or  the  man  with  the  fire  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Study  it  out,  sir,"  said  the  Archduke,  as  he 
passed  on ;  "  and  let  your  master  help  you ;  the 
answer  may  concern  you  both." 

The  last  thing  before  leaving  his  office,  that 
afternoon,  he  wrote  a  note  to  the  American  Am- 
bassador, enclosing  the  anonymous  letter,  and  tell- 
ing him  his  intention  in  reference  to  it ;  and  adding 
that  if  Courtney  had  not  heard  from  him  by  morn- 
ing he  should  do  whatever  he  thought  best.  This 
he  dispatched  by  an  orderly;  and  then,  choosing 
a  long,  light  sword,  he  rang  for  his  horse. 

Just  outside  his  door,  he  met  General  Durand 
and  stopped  for  a  word  with  him;  as  they  sep- 
arated he  saw  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  coming  down 
the  corridor. 

Between  them  it  had  long  been  a  salute  given 
and  acknowledged,  but  now  the  Duke  halted,  fin- 
gers at  visor. 


216  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  May  I  have  a  word  with  Your  Highness  ?  "  he 
said. 

Armand's  hand  dropped  slowly,  and  he  only  half 
paused  in  his  walk. 

"  I  'm  in  a  particular  hurry,  cousin,*'  he  replied, 
"  won't  to-morrow  do  as  well?  " 

Lotzen's    eye-brows    went  up. 

"  Is  n't  to-morrow  rather  uncertain  for — both  of 
us  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Archduke  instantly,  "  yes,  it  is ; 
and  hence  what  need  of  talk  between  us,  at  least  so 
late  in  the  day.  Wait  until  we  have  a  to-morrow." 

"  What  I  wish  to  say  has  nothing  to  do  with 
futures,  cousin,  only  with  the  past,  with  the  De 
Saure  house — oh !  that  surprises  you,  does  it  ?  " 

"  Not  half  as  much  as  the  amazing  mess  you 
made  of  it,"  said  Armand. 

"  That,  my  dear  cousin,  is  just  what  I  came  to 
explain,"  said  Lotzen  quickly.  "  I  had  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  the  silly  affair;  it  was  a  clever 
idea,  but  sadly  bungled;  I  heard  of  it  only  the 
next  day,  and  I  want  to  assure  you  it  was  not  my 
work — though,  as  I  say,  it  was  a  clever  idea — too 
clever,  indeed,  to  be  wasted  so  fruitlessly." 

The  Archduke  regarded  him  in  speculative  si- 
lence;— just  what  manner  of  man  was  this;  and 
what  could  be  his  ulterior  purpose  in  such  an  as- 
tonishing avowal ! 

"  Will  you  tell  me,  cousin,"  he  asked,  "  why 
you  should  trouble  to  disclaim  participation  in  an 


AN  ENTICING  RENDEZVOUS        217 

outrage,  whose  only  offense,  in  your  eyes,  was  its 
failure?  " 

Again  Lotzen's  eye-brows  went  up.  "  I  thought 
you  would  understand  that  it  is  in  justice  to  my- 
self; I  would  not  have  you  think  me  guilty  of  so 
stupid  a  piece  of  work." 

"  Doubtless,  then,  it  will  gratify  you,  monsieur, 
that  I  never  doubted  your  complicity,  however 
much  I  may  have  marvelled  at  the  unskilled  execu- 
tion— you  would  have  arranged  it  rather  differ- 
ently. Indeed,  I  was  sorry  that  you,  yourself, 
were  not  in  command.  I  left  a  message,  both 
upstairs  and  down,  that  I  thought  you  might 
understand." 

Lotzen  smiled,  rather  warmly  for  him. 

"  I  understood,"  he  said ;  "  your  writing  was 
exceedingly  legible." 

"  And  I  sent  you  another  message,  a  little  while 
ago,  by  the  man  with  the  wounded  ear,"  said  the 
Archduke,  his  eyes  upon  the  other's  bandaged  hand. 
"  I  suppose  you  got  it?  " 

The  Duke  laughed  and  held  up  his  hand,  the 
back  and  palm  covered  with  plaster. 

"  This  was  n't  made  by  a  bullet,  cousin ; "  he  re- 
plied ;  "  I  got  it  this  morning  from  a  new  pet  I  was 
trying  to  train. — No,  I  did  n't  get  your  last 
message." 

"  Better  get  it  to-day,  cousin,"  said  the  Arch- 
duke, as  he  turned  away ;  "  to-morrow  is  rather 
uncertain." 


XV 

POUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN 

TEN  miles  out,  on  the  Titian  Road,  is  the  Inn  of 
the  Twisted  Pines.  Something  more  than  two  cen- 
turies of  storms  and  sunshine  have  left  its  logs  and 
plaster  wrinkled  and  weather-beaten,  yet  the  house 
stands  as  stanch  and  strong  as  the  day  the  last  pin 
was  driven,  and  the  painted  sign  and  the  bunch  of 
furze  hung  above  the  entrance. 

The  old  soldier  who  built  it  had  lived  long  enough 
to  marry  a  young  wife,  and  leave  it  to  her  and  a 
sturdy  boy;  and,  thereafter,  there  was  always  a 
son  to  take  the  father's  place ;  and  with  the  heirship 
seemed  to  go  the  inherited  obligation  to  maintain 
the  house  exactly  as  received.  No  modernity 
showed  itself  within  or  without;  the  cooking  alone 
varied,  as  it  reflected  the  skill  or  whim  of  the 
particular  mistress ;  and  it  chanced  that  the  present 
one  was  of  unusual  ability  in  that  particular;  and 
the  knowledge  of  it  coming  to  the  Capital,  had 
brought  not  a  little  trade  of  riding  parties  and  the 
officers  of  the  garrison. 

And  so  Captain  Hertz,  of  the  Third  Lancers, 

had  not  done  quite  the  usual  growl,  when  he  got 

the  order  to  march  at  once  with  his  troop,  selecting 

such  a  route  as  would  bring  him  to  the  Inn  a  few 

218 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        219 

minutes  before  four  o'clock,  taking  care  to  ap- 
proach it  from  the  West;  and  to  halt  there  and 
await  further  instructions. 

He  had  confided  to  his  subaltern  that  it  was  a 
crazy  sort  of  proceeding  to  be  manoeuvring  against 
old  Scartman's  Inn;  but  if  it  had  to  be  done,  it 
was  at  least  considerate  to  choose  as  the  objective 
point,  a  place  where  they  could  have  a  good  meal 
to  eat,  and  the  keeper's  pretty  daughters  to 
philander. 

And  between  thinking  of  the  victuals  and  the 
damsels,  the  Captain  so  hurried  the  march  that 
they  reached  the  Inn  unnecessarily  early;  yet  they 
had  no  reason  to  regret  it,  for  the  tap-room  was 
cool  and  pleasant,  the  food  to  their  taste,  and  the 
girls'  cheeks  prettier  and  softer  than  ever — though 
it  would  seem  that,  lately,  the  last  were  becoming 
much  more  difficult  to  taste. 

"  What 's  got  into  the  hussies  ? "  Hertz  de- 
manded, rubbing  his  face,  as  the  Lieutenant  and 
he  went  out  into  the  courtyard ;  "  They  used  to  be 
mild  enough." 

"  You  've  been  falling  off  in  looks  the  last  year, 
my  dear  fellow,"  Purkitz  laughed — "  can't  say  I 
much  blame  the  girl — I  've  no  finger  marks  on  my 
cheek,  you  see !  " 

"  Huh !  "  grunted  Hertz,  "  solid  brass ;  would  n't 
show  the  kick  of  a  mule. — What  in  Heaven's  name 
are  we  sent  here  for  any  way ! — '  await  further 
orders  ' — that  may  mean  a  week." 


220  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  why  not,"  the  Lieutenant  laughed ;  "  the 
victuals  are  delicious,  and  the  girls " 

"  Oh,  go  to  the  devil !  " 

"  And  even  father,  himself,  will  do  for  company 
in  a  pinch." 

The  Captain  laughed,  too.  "  Not  if  I  can  get 
away — did  you  ever  see  such  a  countenance?  It 
positively  makes  me  ill." 

"  Poor  old  Scartman,"  said  Purkitz ;  he 's  a 
good  man,  but  there  is  no  denying  that  '  the  Lord 
made  him  as  ugly  as  He  could  and  then  hit  him 
in  the  face.  ' 

From  the  eastward,  came  the  sound  of  a  gal- 
loping horse. 

"  Our  orders,  I  hope,"  Hertz  exclaimed.  He 
glanced  at  his  watch.  "  A  quarter  of  four — I  won- 
der what  silly  business  we  're  to  be  sent  on,  now." 

The  hoof-beats  drew  swiftly  nearer,  but  from 
where  the  two  officers  were  standing,  the  high  wall 
of  the  courtyard  obscured  the  road,  and  they  saun- 
tered slowly  across  toward  the  gateway.  As  they 
reached  it,  a  big  black  horse  swept  around  the  cor- 
ner and  was  upon  them  before  the  rider  could  draw 
rein. 

Hertz  gave  a  cry  of  warning  and  sprang  aside, 
tripped  on  his  spur,  and  sprawled  in  the  deep  dust ; 
while  Purkitz's  wild  jump  landed  him  with  both 
feet  on  his  superior's  back,  whence  he  slid  off  and 
brought  up  on  Hertz's  head,  thereby  materially 
augmenting  the  fine  flow  of  super-heated  language 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN 


that  was  bubbling  from  the  Captain's  dirt-filled 
mouth  —  nor  did  the  loud  guffaw  and  the  shrieks 
of  feminine  laughter,  that  came  from  the  house, 
serve  to  reduce  either  the  temperature  or  the 
volume. 

Meanwhile,  the  cause  of  it  all  —  a  slender,  sinuous 
woman,  black  gowned  and  black  veiled  —  sat  the  big 
horse  motionless  and  silent,  waiting  for  the  human 
tangle  to  unloose  itself. 

Coated  with  dust  —  his  uniform  unrecognizable, 
his  face  smeared  and  dirty  —  Hertz  scrambled  up. 

"  What  in  hell  do  you  -  a  woman  !  "  he  ended, 
and  stood  staring. 

"  Yes,  my  man,  a  woman,"  said  she,  "  and  one 
very  sorry  for  your  fall  —  you  are  the  landlord,  I 
presume." 

Lieutenant  Purkitz  gave  a  shout,  and  leaned 
against  the  gate. 

"  Landlord  !  "  he  gasped,  "  landlord  !  —  that  face 
—  oh,  that  face  !  "  and  went  off  into  a  fit  of  sup- 
pressed mirth. 

The  woman  looked  at  him  and  then  at  Hertz, 
and  though  the  thick  veil  hid  her  features  complete- 
ly, there  was  no  doubt  of  her  irritation. 

The  Captain  bowed.  "  Madame  will  pardon  the 
ill  manners  of  my  clownish  servant,"  he  said,  indi- 
cating Purkitz  ;  "  I  am  Captain  Hertz,  of  Her 
Highness'  Third  Lancers.  Yonder  is  the  landlord  ; 
permit  me  to  call  him." 

She  leaned  down  and  offered  him  her  hand. 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  A  thousand  apologies,  my  dear  Captain,  for 
my  reckless  riding  and  my  awkward  tongue — there 
is  small  excuse  for  the  former,  I  admit,  but  my  veil 
may  explain  the  latter. — You  are  not  hurt  ?  " 

A  voice  so  soft  and  sweet  must  have  a  face  to 
match  it,  and  Hertz  went  a  step  nearer. 

"  Madame  can  cure  everything  but  my  heart,  if 
she  but  raise  the  veil,"  he  said. 

The  voice  laughed  softly. 

"  Then,  sir,  I  am  afraid  to  raise  it — your  heart 
would  not  survive  the  shock.  Good-bye,  and  thank 
you,"  and  she  spurred  across  to  where  old  Scart- 
man  was  standing  near  the  stables. 

"  I  am  to  meet  some  one  here  at  four  o'clock," 
she  said;  "  has  my  party  come?  " 

Boniface's  shrewd  little  eyes  had  taken  her  in 
at  a  single  glance. 

"  Gentleman,  I  suppose  ?  "  he  asked. — ' '  None  of 
them?  "  jerking  his  thumb  toward  the  two  lancers. 
— "  No  ?  then  he  's  not  here  yet." 

She  glided  gracefully  out  of  saddle,  and  hooked 
up  her  skirt. 

"  Put  my  horse  in  the  stall  nearest  the  door," 
she  ordered ;  and  herself  saw  it  done.  "  Now,  I 
want  a  room — the  big  one  on  the  lower  floor — for 
an  hour  or  so." 

The  inn-keeper  bowed. 

"  Certainly,  madame — and  the  gentleman  ?  " 

She  considered.  .  .  .  .  "  He  is  one  high  in 
rank,  very  high — indeed,  no  one  in  Valeria  is 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN 


higher  —  tell  him  I  'm  here  ;  and  admit  him  In- 
stantly; but  don't,  do  you  hear  me,  don't  tell  him 
I  'm  a  woman." 

Old  Scartman  coughed  and  hesitated. 

"  But  please  you,  madame,"  he  ventured,  "  if 
I  'm  to  tell  him  you  're  here,  but  not  to  tell  him 
you  're  a  woman,  how  's  he  to  be  sure  you  are 
you?  " 

"  True,  O  patron  of  rendezvous  !  "  she  laughed. 
"  If  he  ask  for  proof,  you  may  tell  him  I  'm  the 
one  who  knows." 

"  Now,  that  's  more  to  rule,"  he  said,  with  a  nod 
and  a  chuckle. 

They  went  into  the  house,  and  he  opened  the 
door  into  the  big  room. 

"  This  is  what  madame  wishes  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  she  —  "  and  remember,  no  interrup- 
tions, now  nor  later  —  understand  ?  " 

He  bowed  with  rather  unusual  grace,  for  one  of 
his  appearance  and  calling. 

"  Perfectly,  madame  —  does  madame  think  I  look 
so  like  a  fool?  " 

She  surveyed  him  an  instant. 

"  No,  my  good  man,  I  don't,"  and  closed  the 
door  ;  "  but  I  would  n't  care  to  tell  you  what  you 
do  look  like,"  she  ended. 

Going  over  to  the  window,  she  fixed  the  curtain 
so  as  to  permit  her  to  see  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  then,  removing  her  veil,  she  drew  out  a  tiny 
mirror  and  deftly  touched  to  place  the  hair  that 


224.  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

was  disarranged.  As  she  finished,  she  heard  horses 
approaching,  and  she  saw,  through  the  open  gate- 
way, a  sudden  commotion  among  the  Lancers  who 
were  lounging  at  ease  by  the  roadside,  their  mounts 
picketed  under  the  trees.  She  knew  that  her  man 
was  coming. 

A  sergeant  ran  in  and  said  a  word  to  Hertz  who, 
free  now  of  his  dust  and  anger,  was  sitting  on  the 
steps  with  Purkitz,  hoping  to  get  a  glimpse  of 
the  face  behind  the  veil,  and  staring  at  the  windows 
with  calm  persistency. 

"  My  God ! "  she  heard  Hertz  exclaim,  as  both 
sprang  up,  and,  frantically  buttoning  tunics  and 
drawing  on  gloves,  ran  out  into  the  road  and  swung 
to  horse.  There  was  a  snap  of  commands,  a  stamp- 
ing of  hoofs,  and  the  lances  rose  high  above  the 
wall  in  a  line  of  fluttering  pennons ;  they  dipped, 
and  the  next  moment  the  Archduke  and  the  Re- 
gent's Adjutant  drew  up  before  the  gate. 

The  former  raised  his  hand,  and  Hertz  rode 
forward  and  saluted. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here,  Captain 
Hertz?"  he  asked. 

"  Since  a  few  minutes  after  three,  sir." 

"  Has  any  one  come  to  the  Inn  in  that  time  ?  " 

Hertz's  spine  went  cold,  and  his  voice  trembled 
— she  was  the  Archduke's,  and  he  had  dared  to 
ogle  her. 

*'  No  one,  Your  Highness,"  he  answered — "  no 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        225 

one  but  a  woman — only  a  few  minutes  ago — on 
horseback — alone." 

"  Did  you  happen  to  look  at  her,  Captain  ?  If 
you  did,  you  might  describe  her." 

"  I  cannot,  Your  Highness ;  her  face  was  cov- 
ered with  a  thick,  black  veil." 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  You  're  a  good  soldier, 
I  see;  a  pretty  face  comes  first." 

"  But  her  figure,  sir — it 's  wonderful,  black  habit 
and  black  horse — and  she  can  ride — and  her 
voice — " 

"  At  least,  Captain,  your  inability  to  describe 
her  is  n't  due  to  lack  of  observation,"  the  Arch- 
duke remarked  dryly.  "  You  have  aroused  my 
curiosity;  I  must  see  this  remarkable  woman — and 
do  you  remain  here.  I  may  have  need  of  you 
presently;  if  you  hear  a  whistle,  come  to  me 
instantly." 

"  Very  clever,  my  lord,"  Hertz  muttered ;  "  but 
you  can't  cozen  this  bird ;  you  're  here  to  meet  her, 
and  we  are  not  expected.  If  the  Regent  knew  it 
— whew ! "  and  dismounting,  he  nodded  to  the 
sergeant. 

"  This  looks  about  as  harmless  as  a  game  of 
ping-pong,"  said  Armand,  as  they  went  into  the 
courtyard;  then,  suddenly,  an  amazing  idea  flashed 
upon  him;  and  he  swung  around,  and  motioned 
Hertz  to  him. 

"  What  color  was  the  woman's  hair  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Black.  Your  Highness,  black  as  her  gown." 
15 


226  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

He  dismissed  Hertz  with  a  look. 

"  Moore,"  he  said,  and  without  moving  on,  "  this 
plot  is  tangling  fast.  Can  you  guess  who  this 
woman  is  ?  " 

" '  The  one  who  knows,' "  said  the  Colonel 
promptly. 

"  Yes,  and  more — it  is  Madeline  Spencer." 

"  Impossible ! " 

"  I  hope  so,  God  knows,"  the  Archduke  an- 
swered ;  "  I  've  had  enough  of  that  devil — Scart- 
man,  is  any  one  awaiting  me  ?  " 

The  old  fellow  had  come  up  at  a  run. 

"  Your  Highness'  pardon,"  he  cried,  bowing  al- 
most into  the  dirt ;  "  had  I  known  you  were  coming 
I  would  have  been  at  the  gate  to  receive  you — 

"  Never  mind  the  reception,  my  man,  answer  my 
question — is  any  one  awaiting  me  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  Your  Highness — " 

"  Don't  you  know — what  name  did  she  give  for 
me?" 

"  '  The  one  who  knows,'  sir — but  I  was  n't  to  tell 
you,  sir,  she  is  a  woman — she  was  most  particular 
as  to  that." 

The  Archduke  laughed.  "  Well,  you  did  n't ;  I 
knew  it — where  is  she?  " 

"  I  will  conduct  your " 

"  You  '11  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  Armand, 
dismounting  and  flinging  his  rein  to  his  orderly; 
"  where  is  the  lady  ?  " 

Old  Scartman  knew  enough  to  palaver  no  longer. 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        227 

"  The  large  room  on  the  right,  Your  Highness," 
he  answered  promptly. 

"  Come  along,  Moore,"  said  the  Archduke,  "  let 
us  have  a  look  at  her — and  pray  heaven  it  is  n't 
Spencer." 

But  the  landlord  shook  his  head  dubiously. 

"  It 's  queer  doings,  sure  enough !  "  he  muttered ; 
— "  leastwise,  it 's  no  love  meeting  they  're  up  to ;  " 
and  he  followed  them  as  far  as  the  hall,  to  be  within 
call  if  needed. 

Shielded  by  the  curtain,  Madeline  Spencer  had 
watched  the  scene  in  the  courtyard,  laughing 
quietly,  the  while,  at  Hertz's  confusion  and  at  what 
she  knew  was  in  his  mind,  as  to  the  Archduke  and 
herself;  now  she  flung  the  veil  lightly  around  her 
head,  and  put  her  chair  where  the  sun  would  be 
behind  her.  Moore's  presence  had  surprised  and 
disappointed  her;  but,  on  the  whole,  she  preferred 
him  to  Bernheim — and  particularly  if  one  of  them 
were  to  be  at  the  interview.  Though  she  had 
rather  counted  upon  Armand  coming  alone,  if  only 
to  show  his  contempt  for  the  permission  to  bring 
an  escort — that  he  had  sent  the  troop  of  Lancers 
she  did  not  credit  for  a  moment,  though  it  might 
do  to  twit  him  with  it. 

Cool  player  that  she  was,  and  skillful  beyond 
most  women,  yet  even  her  heart  beat  a  little  faster, 
and  her  hand  showed  the  trace  of  a  tremble,  as 
she  heard  the  rattle  of  swords  and  spurs  in  the 
hall-way,  followed  by  the  sharp  knock  upon  her 


228  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

door.  And  she  let  the  knock  come  a  second  time 
before  she  answered  it.  She  had  not  seen  Armand 
since  that  night  in  her  reception  room  in  the  Hotel 
Metzen,  when  the  King  and  he  had  surprised  her 
and  Lotzen  together,  and,  after  tumbling  the 
Duke's  schemes  about  his  ears,  had  sent  him  to 
Lotzenia  in  disgrace  and  her  across  the  border; 
and,  now,  the  sight  of  him,  and  the  sound  of  his 
voice,  had  stirred  again  the  old  fondness  that  would 
not  down.  And  though,  to  his  face,  she  might 
laugh  at  his  anger  and  mock  at  his  contempt,  and 
feel  it  so  then,  yet  afterward,  in  the  depression  that 
in  such  natures  always  follows  periods  of  excite- 
ment, the  recollection  of  it  hurt  her  sadly,  scorn 
it  as  she  might,  despise  it  as  she  did — destroy  him 
as  she  meant  to  do,  and  would. 

"  Entrez!  "  she  called,  "  entrez!  "  and  with  the 
words,  the  tremble  passed,  and  she  was  serene  and 
undisturbed  again. 

"  Your  Royal  Highness ! "  she  said,  very  low, 
and  swept  him  a  quick  curtsy. 

Instead  of  offering  his  hand  to  raise  her,  he  an- 
swered with  a  slight  bow. 

"  Madame  desired  to  see  me?  "  he  asked ;  and 
crossing  over  obliged  her  to  turn  so  that  the  light 
from  the  window  fell  upon  her  sideways.  And, 
despite  the  heavy  veil,  that  gave  him  only  a  black 
mask  of  crape  instead  of  her  face,  he  was  satisfied 
he  had  surmised  correctly. 

Suddenly  she  caught  the  veil  and  flung  it  away. 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN       229 

"You  know  me,  I  see,"  she  laughed,  "  so  we  will 
dispense  with  this  covering — it  is  very  warm." 

For  a  little  while,  he  looked  at  her  in  forbidding 
silence. 

"  What  ill  wind  blew  you  back  to  Dornlitz  ?  " 
he  asked  presently;  and  she  almost  cried  out  in 
surprise  at  the  deliberate  menace  in  his  voice.  And 
Moore  marvelled  and  was  glad — the  old  Henry  was 
being  aroused,  at  last. 

"  111  wind  ?  "  she  said — leaning  carelessly  against 
the  window  ledge  where  the  sun  played  through  her 
wonderful  hair,  and  tinged  the  flawless  face  from 
dead-white  to  a  faint,  soft  pink — "  ill  wind  for 
whom,  Armand? — surely  not  for  you;  why  am  I 
here?  " 

The  Archduke  gave  a  sarcastic  laugh.  "  That 
is  precisely  what  I  should  like  to  know." 

"You  doubt  the  letter?" 

A  shrug  was  his  answer. 

She   leaned   a   bit  toward  him. 

"  If  I  show  you  the  Book  of  Dalberg  Laws,  will 
you  believe?  "  she  asked. 

"  That  they  are  the  Laws,  yes." 

She  smiled  rather  sadly. 

"  The  facts  will  have  to  prove  my  honest  motive, 
I  see;  and  I  came  from  Paris,  hoping  that  I  could 
render  you  this  service,  as  a  small  requital  for  the 
injury  I  did  you  a  little  while  ago." 

The  Archduke  laughed  in  her  face. 


230  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  for  how  much  in  gold  coin  of  the  realm, 
from  some  one  of  my  enemies  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  put  the  words  aside  with  another  smile. 

"  I  Ve  been  in  Dornlitz  for  more  than  two 
weeks,"  she  went  on;  "can  you  guess  where? — yes, 
I  see  you  can;  the  only  place  I  could  have  been, 
and  you  not  know  of  it." 

"  And  you  mean  to  say  the  Book  is  in  Ferida 
Palace?  "  said  Armand. 

"  I  do." 

"  And  you  are  ready  to  restore  it  to  the 
Regent?  " 

"  No,"  said  she,  "  I  'm  not  ready  to  restore  it 
to  the  Regent ;  I  'm  ready  to  give  it  to  you  if  I 
were  able,  but  I  'm  not — it  will  be  for  you  to  recover 
it." 

"  How  do  you  know  it  is  the  Book  of  Laws — 
did  the  Duke  tell  you?  " 

She  laughed  her  soft,  sweet  laugh.  "  Oh,  no,  he 
did  n't  tell  me — he  has  no  idea  that  I  know  he  has 
it;  I  saw  it  by  accident " 

"  How  could  you  recognize  the  Book  ?  "  he  inter- 
rupted ;  "  only  three  people  in  the  Kingdom  have 
ever  seen  it." 

"  By  intuition,  mainly ;  and  by  the  secrecy  with 
which  the  Duke  handles  it — let  me  describe  it: — 
a  very  old  book;  leather-covered,  brass-bound  and 
brass-hinged;  the  pages,  of  parchment — those  in 
front  illumined  in  colors  with  queer  letters,  and, 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        231 

further  on,  more  modern  writing — it  is  the  Book, 
isn't  it,  Armand?  " 

"  Or  Lotzen  has  described  it  to  you,"  he  an- 
swered. 

She  made  a  gesture  of  discouragement. 

"  You  are  hard  to  convince,"  she  said — "  you 
will  have  to  be  shown — will  you  take  the  trouble?  " 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  Now  we  come  to  the 
kernel,"  he  remarked ;  "  the  rest  was  only  the  shell. 
Quite  candidly,  madame,  I  'm  not  inclined  to  play 
the  spy  in  Ferida  Palace;  there  are  easier  deaths 
to  die,  though  doubtless  none  that  would  be  more 
sure." 

"  You  did  n't  used  to  be  so  timid  or  careful, 
Armand,"  she  mocked ;  "  there  are  no  dangers  other 
than  those  of  my  boudoir — and  if  you  fear  them 
you  may  send  a  substitute — even  one  of  your  friend 
Courtney's  secret  agents. — For  the  last  few  nights 
the  Duke  has  been  going  over  this  Book  page  by 
page ;  his  apartments  are  across  a  small  court  from 
mine,  and  his  private  cabinet  is  directly  in  view 
from  my  boudoir.  Send  some  one  there  this  even- 
ing at  eleven,  and  with  my  field  glass  he  can  see 
everything  the  Duke  does,  and  every  article  on  his 
desk.  Surely,  that  should  be  enough  to  satisfy 
the  most  suspicious." 

"  Rather  too  much,"  said  he ;  "  it  brings  us  back 
to  the  question  of  motive: — why  should  you,  who 
have  had  so  much  of  my  dear  cousin's  money,  and 
have  enjoyed  his  kind  and  courteous  hospitality 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


for  so  long,  suddenly  turn  against  him,  and  betray 
him?  —  for  believe  me,  madame,  I  take  no  stock  in 
your  pretty  story  of  requiting  injury,  and  com- 
ing all  the  way  from  Paris  to  help  me  find  the 
Book." 

"  But,  my  dear  Archduke,  what  matters  my  mo- 
tive, if  you  recover  the  Book  —  besides,  now  you 
can  send  the  police  this  instant  and  search  the 
Palace  and  seize  the  Book,  if  it  's  there,  and  they 
can  find  it  —  does  n't  that  in  itself  attest  my 
honesty  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least.  You  know  very  well  that 
I  would  not  venture  to  take  such  drastic  action 
against  the  Duke  unless  I  were  sure,  not  only  that 
he  had  the  Book,  but  that  it  would  be  found  — 
hence  it  's  safe  to  tell  this  story.  And  as  your 
motive  —  it  all  comes  back  to  that  —  can't  be  to 
assist  me,  it  must  be  to  assist  the  Duke;  and  so  —  " 
he  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

It  had  never  occurred  to  her  that  he  would  be 
so  difficult  to  convince;  she  had  thought  that  her 
bait,  and  particularly  the  privilege  to  send  any  one 
to  verify  it,  and  her  description  of  the  Book,  would 
capture  him  instantly.  But  she  had  failed  to  ap- 
preciate how  thoroughly  Armand  despised  her,  and 
how  deeply  he  mistrusted  her,  and,  more  than  all, 
how  intensely  repugnant  it  would  be  to  accept  a 
service  from  her,  or  to  have  any  dealings  with  her 
except  a  entrance. 

She  bent  forward  and  looked  him  in  the  eyes. 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        233 

"  Why  might  it  not  be  to  assist  myself  ?"  she 
asked — "  to  revenge  myself,  if  you  please, 
Armand." 

"  Yes  ?  "   he   said   questioningly. 

"  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  and  I  have  come  to  the 
parting  place,"  she  said  with  quick  bitterness — • 
"  the  brute  struck  me  yesterday ;  no  man  ever  did 
so  twice — and  none  ever  once,  that  I  did  n't 
punish  promptly.  I  did  come  from  Paris  thinking 
I  might  aid  you,  for  some  how  I  was  sure  he  had 
that  book;  he  was  glad  enough  to  have  me;  and 
then  he  was  so  kind  and  liberal  I — you  won't  believe 
it  I  know,  Armand,  but  it 's  true — I  could  n't  bring 
myself  to  betray  him;  nor  should  I,  but  for  yes- 
terday. Now  I  want  revenge;  and  I  can  get  it 
quickest  and  best  through  you.  There,  you  have 
my  true  motive;  and  even  you  should  not  doubt  it, 
for,  God  knows,  a  woman  hates  to  confess  that  a 
man  has  struck  her." 

She  turned  away  and  looked  through  the  window, 
her  fingers  playing  nervously  on  the  sill;  while 
the  Archduke,  doubtful,  yet  half  convinced,  glanced 
at  Moore  uncertainly. 

Instantly  the  Colonel  motioned  to  accept,  and 
that  he  would  go  to  the  Ferida;  and  Armand 
smiled,  and  indicated  that  both  would  go — if  any 
went;  then  he  crossed  to  the  great  fireplace  and 
stood  before  it,  staring  thoughtfully  into  the  cin- 
ders. Suddenly  he  straightened  his  shoulders,  and 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


faced  around  —  and  Moore  knew  that  the  decision 
was  made,  and  finally. 

"  Mrs.  Spencer,"  he  said,  "  we  will  lay  aside 
the  questions  of  motive  and  personality:  You,  an 
individual,  come  to  me,  the  Governor  of  Dornlitz, 
and  offer  information  which,  if  true,  will  lead  to 
the  recovery  of  an  article  of  great  value,  that 
belongs  to  the  Government  and  has  mysteriously 
disappeared.  It  is  my  duty,  as  Governor,  to  inves- 
tigate the  story,  and  I  will  do  it,  either  in  person 
or  by  subordinate.  If  the  story  be  true,  and  the 
article  in  question  be  recovered  by  your  aid,  then 
you  will  be  entitled  to  the  proper  thanks  of  the 
Government  and  a  suitable  recompense.  —  So  much 
for  that.  But  I  also  wish  to  assure  you  that  Ar- 
mand  Dalberg,  himself,  declines  your  offer  and 
your  aid;  and  should  your  information  result  to 
his  personal  profit  and  advancement,  it  will  be  a 
life-long  regret." 

She  heard  him  without  turning  —  and  Moore 
thought  he  detected  the  faintest  shiver  at  the  end; 
and,  in  truth,  the  words  and  tone  were  enough  to 
chill  even  a  colder  heart  than  hers. 

But  when  she  faced  him,  it  was  with  one  of  the 
soft  and  caressing  smiles  she  could  use  with  such 
fatal  fascination,  and  which  made  Moore  catch  his 
breath  and  stare,  though  it  touched  the  Archduke 
not  at  all. 

"  I  thank  His  Royal  Highness,  the  Governor  of 
Dornlitz,"  she  said,  dropping  him  another  curtsy, 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        235 

"  for  his  consideration  and  trust,  and  the  promised 

reward;  the  latter  I  decline As  for 

Armand  Dalberg,  I  can  assure  him  he  will  owe  me 
no  obligation:  it  will  give  me  a  life-long  pleasure 
to  be  the  means  of  causing  him  a  life-long  regret." 

The  Archduke  smiled  indifferently. 

"  To  that  extent,  then,  I  shall  feel  less 
obligated,"  he  replied.  "  Meanwhile,  let  us  be 
seated,  and  receive  madame's  instruction  for  to- 
night. I  shall  want  the  Book  seen  by  more  than 
one  person — how  many  can  you  arrange  to  admit?  " 

"  How  many  do  you  wish  ?  " 

"  Three,   possibly   four." 

"  You  may  bring  half  a  dozen  if  you  like,"  she 
said,  "  though  the  fewer,  the  less  chance  of 
failure." 

"  Very  good — how  is  it  to  be  managed?  " 

She  drew  off  her  gauntlets,  and  from  one  of  them 
took  a  sheet  of  note  paper — stamped  with  the 
Duke's  arms — on  which  she  had  sketched  roughly 
so  much  of  the  Ferida  and  its  grounds  as  entered 
into  her  plan.  Spreading  it  out,  she  explained 
how  they  were  to  gain  entrance  to  her  apartments ; 
and  that  there  might  be  no  mistake,  she  went  over 
it  again,  cautioning  them  that  it  must  be  followed 
with  the  most  careful  precision.  At  the  end,  she 
gave  the  map  to  Moore. 

"  Of  course,  I  shall  not  expect  Your  Highness 
to-night,"  she  said ;  "  but  I  hope  you  will  send 
Colonel  Moore ;  it  will  be  well  to  have  some  one  who 


236  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

can,  if  necessary,  use  both  head  and  sword — 
though  I  don't  anticipate  the  remotest  difficulty  in 
your " 

A  volley  of  cheers  from  without  drowned  her 
voice.  It  could  only  be  the  soldiers,  and  yet  it 
was  such  an  extraordinary  thing,  and  with  the 
Field-Marshal,  himself,  within  sound,  that  the  two 
men  looked  at  each  other  in  puzzled  surprise;  and 
when  the  noise  not  only  continued  but  actually 
grew  louder,  the  Archduke  frowned  and  went  to 
the  window. 

And  what  he  saw  made  him  frown  still  more,  and 
he  swore  softly  to  himself,  as  a  man  does,  some- 
times, when  unpleasantly  surprised  and  obliged  to 
think  quickly,  and  to  act  on  the  thinking,  with  a 
heavy  penalty  awaiting  a  mistake. 

Crossing  the  courtyard,  with  Hertz  and  Purkitz 
walking  on  either  side,  were  the  Regent  of  Valeria 
and  Mile.  d'Essolde.  And  even  as  Armand  stood 
there,  they  were  out  of  saddle  and  Dehra  was  run- 
ning lightly  up  the  steps. 

"  Send  Scartman  to  us  in  the  big  room,  if  you 
please,  Captain,"  she  called — then  stopped,  her 
eyes  fixed  on  two  horses  standing  a  little  way  off — 
a  Field-Marshal's  insignia  on  the  saddle  cloth  of 
one  and  a  Colonel's  of  her  Household  on  the  other. 
So!  so!  and  they. were  too  busy  with  appointments 
at  four  to  ride  with  them.  She  caught  Mile. 
d'Essolde  by  the  arm. 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN 


"  Look,  Elise  !  "  she  said,  "  look  at  those  saddle 
cloths  yonder." 

The  Archduke  followed  her  motion,  and  under- 
stood. It  was  a  most  infernally  unfortunate  con- 
tretemps, but  it  would  have  to  be  met,  and  at 
once. 

"  The  Regent  is  on  the  porch,"  he  said.  "  I 
do  not  care  for  her  to  know  of  this  meeting  nor  its 
purport,  until  after  to-night.  Madame,  will  you 
please  be  good  enough  to  conceal  yourself;  the  door 
is  the  only  exit,  and  it  is  impossible  now  —  I  will 
try  to  prevent  Her  Highness  entering  here,  but  I 
may  fail;  I  likely  shall.  Come,  Moore,"  and  he 
hurried  out. 

But  Madeline  Spencer  only  laughed,  and,  wind- 
ing the  veil  into  place,  went  and  stood  by  the  chim- 
ney —  here  was  a  very  god-given  opportunity,  and 
assuredly  she  had  no  notion  to  let  it  pass  unused. 

And  the  landlord,  slumbering  in  the  hall,  had 
been  tardily  aroused  by  the  cheering,  and  coming 
forth,  still  half  asleep,  he  met  the  Princess  just 
at  the  entrance. 

"  Scartman,"  she  said  sharply,  "  where  are  His 
Highness  and  Colonel  Moore?  " 

The  landlord  awoke  with  a  suddenness  that  was 
painful,  and  which  left  him  staring  at  her  in  silly- 
eyed  speechlessness. 

"  What  ails  you,  man  ?  "  she  demanded  —  "  tell 
the  Archduke  I  'm  here  —  we  shall  be  in  the  large 
room." 


238  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

This  brought  back  a  bit  of  his  senses,  and  he 
bowed  to  the  ground,  hoping  to  get  back  more  of 
them  before  he  need  come  up. 

"  I  will  find  His  Royal  Highness  at  once,"  he 
said ;  "  I  did  not  know  he  was  here — I  *ve  been 
asleep — but  if  Your  Majesty — Your  Regency — 
Your  Highness,  I  mean,  will  permit — the  large 
room  is  occupied,  I  will " 

At  that  moment,  Armand  and  Moore  came  out. 

"  So  it  would  seem,"  the  Princess  remarked 
dryly. 

"  Don't  blame  the  poor  fellow,  Dehra,"  the  Arch- 
duke laughed ;  "  he  did  the  best  he  could,  doubtless, 
and  at  my  order.  We  are  here  on  the  business  I 
spoke  of  this  morning — it 's  finished  now,  and  we 
will  ride  back  with  you,  if  we  may." 

Dehra  held  out  her  hand,  and  gave  him  the  smile 
she  knew  he  loved. 

"  Of  course  you  may,"  she  said,  "  and  gladly ; 
but  first  I  want  a  cup  of  tea — Scartman,  the  kettle 
instantly !  " — and  before  Armand  could  detain  her, 
she  was  past  him  and  into  the  room. 

As  she  crossed  the  threshold,  she  caught  the  faint 
perfume  that  a  woman  always  carries,  and  which 
often-times  is  so  individualized,  as  to  betray  her 
identity  instantly.  It  was  a  peculiar  odor — the 
blended  fragrance  of  many  flowers — and  she  rec- 
ognized that  she  had  known  it  before; — but  what 
was  it  doing  in  this  room,  now! — it  was  too  fresh 
to  be  many  minutes  old. 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  AT  THE  INN        239 

"  Armand,"  she  said,  "  what  woman  has  been 
here  ?  "  glancing  laughingly  around. — "  And  is 
here  still !  "  and  pointed  with  her  crop  to  the  veiled 
figure  in  the  shadow  near  the  chimney. 

The  Archduke  ground  back  an  oath,  and  step- 
ping forward  bowed  to  Madeline  Spencer. 

"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  will  you  do  the  Governor 
of  Dornlitz  the  favor  to  excuse  him,  and  to  accept 
his  thanks  for  your  service?  Colonel  Moore, 
madame's  horse." 

"  Je  vous  remercie,  Monsieur  le  Prince"  she 
murmured,  taking  Moore's  arm,  and  moving  with 
sinuous  grace  toward  the  door.  But  as  she  passed 
the  Princess  Regent,  who  had  stepped  aside  to  give 
her  way,  the  veil  slipped  from  her  face,  and  the  two 
women  looked  into  each  other's  eyes — the  one  with 
a  smile  of  mocking  impertinence,  the  other  with  a 
calmly  ignoring  stare,  and  showing,  by  not  so  much 
as  the  quiver  of  a  muscle,  her  anger  and  surprise. 

And  when  they  had  gone,  the  Princess  turned 
her  gaze  upon  the  Archduke,  the  blue  eyes  ominous 
in  their  steadiness;  and  as  he  would  have  spoken, 
she  repelled  him  with  an  imperious  gesture,  and 
gave  him  her  back. 

"  Come,  Elise !  "  she  said,  and  left  the  room. 

In  the  courtyard,  Colonel  Moore  had  just  swung 
Mrs.  Spencer  to  saddle,  and  was  fixing  her  skirt. 
Dehra  paused  in  the  entry  until  the  black  horse  had 
passed  the  gate;  then  she  went  leisurely  down  the 


240  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

steps,  waved  Moore  to  Mile.  d'Essolde,  and  let  the 
groom  put  her  up. 

Acknowledging  Moore's  farewell  salute,  with  her 
crop,  but  no  smile,  and  with  never  a  glance  toward 
the  window,  behind  whose  curtain  she  must  have 
known  the  Archduke  would  surely  be,  she  rode  away 
— the  Lancers  again  cheering  her  devotedly  as  she 
passed. 


XVI 

A    TOO     CONVINCING    ARGUMENT 

COLONEL  MOORE  went  slowly  up  the  steps  and 
into  the  room,  through  the  half  open  door  of  which 
he  saw  the  Archduke  standing,  with  chin  on  breast 
and  back  to  the  fireplace.  He  looked  up,  as  the 
Adjutant  paused  at  the  threshold,  and  nodded  for 
him  to  come  in. 

"  Ordinarily  it  would  be  proper  now  for  us  to 
have  a  good,  stiff  drink,  may  be  several  of  them," 
he  remarked,  "  but  the  only  kind  that  fits  this 
situation,  so  far  as  I  'm  concerned,  is  straight 
whisky,  and  I  don't  believe  this  cursed  place  can 
supply  it." 

"  Quite  right ;  it  can't,"  said  Moore ;  "  I  tried 
the  other  day — won't  anything  else  do?  " 

"  No — nothing  else;  and  it 's  just  as  well  I  can't 
get  the  whisky ;  I  may  need  a  clear  head  to  night." 

"  You  are  not  going,  sir ! " 

Armand  nodded.  "  Going?  of  course  I  'm  going 
— why  not  ?  and  I  only  hope  I  '11  get  a  chance  at 
my  sweet  cousin.  We  promised  only  to  look — to 
raise  no  disturbance — and  on  Spencer's  account  it 
is  right  enough  that  we  should  do  nothing  to  be- 
tray her;  but  if  Lotzen  get  in  the  way,  Colonel, 
we  are  not  obligated  to  avoid  him." 

16  241 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Why  should  Your  Highness  walk  deliberately 
into  the  tiger's  lair — when  another  can  go  quite 
as  well,  and  without  danger?  "  Moore  protested. 

The  Archduke  took  a  cigarette  and  tossed  the 
case  across  to  the  Adjutant. 

"  Because  I  'm  really  hunting  the  tiger,"  he 
laughed ;  "  and  I  like  excitement  in  good  company 
— though  I  fear  it  will  be  a  very  tame  affair." 

The  other  shook  his  head  dubiously.  "  It 's  not 
right,  sir,  for  you  to  expose  yourself  so  unneces- 
sarily— let  me  go  in  command." 

"  Nonsense,  Ralph,  you  're  getting  in  Bernheim's 
class;  quit  it.  What  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  is 
whether  Spencer  dropped  her  veil  intentionally  or 
by  accident." 

"  It  seemed  so  accidental  it  must  have  been  inten- 
tional," said  Moore. 

"  If  I  were  sure  of  it,  that  would  cancel  a  trifle 
more  of  my  obligation." 

"  Her  Highness  will  know — "  the  Colonel  began, 
and  stopped  abashed  at  his  blunder. 

"  And  so  will  Mademoiselle  d'Essolde,"  said  Ar- 
mand.  "  I  may  have  to  depend  on  you  for 
information." 

"  Then  Your  Highness  will  likely  have  to  get  it, 
yourself,"  Moore  laughed.  "  We  're  not  speaking 
either,  it  seems;  she  let  me  put  her  up,  because 
the  Regent  sent  me  to  her,  but — I  'm  chilly  yet. 
Did  you  ever  notice,  sir,  how  disconcerting  it  is  to 
think  you  're  talking  to  a  woman,  and  then  find 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    243 

it 's  a  mistake  and  that  really  you  're  talking  only 
to  yourself?  " 

The  Archduke  smiled.  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  I  've 
noticed  it ;  and  we  may  have  a  rather  frigid  atmos- 
phere for  a  few  moments  this  evening  until  I  can 
explain — we  are  to  dine  with  Her  Highness  and 
Mademoiselle." 

"  If  you  don't  mind,  sir,  I  '11  violate  propriety 
and  let  you  arrive  first;  your  explanation  will  do 
for  both — and  besides,  I  fancy  such  things  are 
best  done  a  deux. 

"  You  fancy ! — you  innocent-Irishman-afraid-of- 
a-woman !  "  He  drew  on  his  gloves.  "  Come  along 
— put  on  a  brave  front  and  I  '11  take  you  home. 
Five  minutes  talk  will  set  matters  right." 

"  If  you  're  not  talking  to  yourself,"  Moore 
observed. 

The  landlord  was  awaiting  them  in  distress  and 
trepidation  almost  pitiful.  Such  ill  luck  had  not 
befallen  the  Inn  in  all  its  years  of  busy  life.  The 
Regent  and  the  Governor!  It  was  the  end  of  his 
favor — the  end  of  the  Twisted  Pines.  To-morrow 
— may  be  to-day — would  come  the  police,  and  the 
nails  would  go  into  the  doors,  and  boards  across 
the  windows,  and  the  big  gates,  that  had  always 
swung  open  at  daybreak,  would  swing  no  more, 
and  in  disgrace  and  shame  he  and  his  would  be 
turned  out,  with  the  curt  admonition  to  seek  a  har- 
bor in  another  land. 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

He  almost  dropped  as  the  Archduke's  hand  fell 
on  his  shoulder. 

"  Scartman,"  said  he  kindly,  yet  incisively, 
"  doubtless  your  mind  is  much  too  occupied  to  re- 
member everything  that  happens  here — but  let  me 
suggest  that  it  would  be  well  even  to  make  a  spe- 
cial effort  to  forget  what  has  occurred  this  after- 
noon. I  have  known  such  forgetfulness  to  merit 
special  reward." 

The  landlord  looked  up  in  bewildered  joy. 

"  But  Her  Highness,  sir — she  will  not 

"  Tush,  man,"  Armand  interrupted,  "  I  '11  an- 
swer for  the  Regent." 

The  old  man  began  to  cry,  and  through  his  tears 
he  groped  for  the  Archduke's  hand  and  kissed  the 
gauntlet  fervently. 

"  God  bless  Your  Highness !  "  he  said — and  was 
still  repeating  it  when  the  latter  passed  the  gate. 

The  Archduke  rode  slowly  along  the  line  of 
Lancers,  scrutinizing  every  man  as  he  went;  then 
motioned  the  officers  to  him. 

"  Messieurs,"  he  said,  "  my  compliments  on  your 
troop. — Captain  Hertz,  you  may  return  to 
barracks." 

Hertz  saluted,  faced  his  men  and  raised  his 
sword.  And  Armarid,  galloping  down  the  road, 
turned  in  saddle  and  with  his  cap  answered  the 
wild  cheer  they  sent  after  him. 

"  Purkitz,"  said  the  Captain,  before  giving  the 
order  to  break  into  column,  "  now  is  your  oppor- 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    245 

tunity  to  prove  you  can  actually  know  something 
and  not  tell  it." 

"  And  yours  also,  O  wiser  than  serpents,"  the 
Lieutenant  laughed,  "  to  prove  you  actually  do 
know  something  that  you  tell." 

But  the  Archduke  had  not  deemed  it  necessary 
to  caution  either  of  them;  here,  even  the  dullest 
witted  soldier  in  the  Army  would  have  the  sense 
to  hold  his  tongue. 

Where  the  road  for  the  Summer  Palace  took  off 
at  the  old  forge,  the  Colonel  left  him,  and  Ar- 
mand  went  on  to  the  Capital.  He  rode  these  last 
few  miles  at  a  slow  jog,  and  thoughtfully.  It  was 
well  enough  to  treat  the  matter  lightly  to  Moore, 
but,  none  the  less,  it  troubled  him.  Dehra's  con- 
duct had  been  so  extraordinary  for  her — who  had 
refused  to  credit,  for  an  instant,  Madeline  Spencer's 
claim  to  be  his  wife,  though  actually  supported  by 
a  marriage  certificate — that  he  was  puzzled  and  all 
sorts,  of  doubts  and  fears  harassed  him.  It  sug- 
gested some  untoward  influence;  what  he  could  not 
imagine,  nor  how,  nor  whence  it  had  come;  but, 
even  then,  everything  would  be  very  easy  to  explain, 
if  she  would  give  him  the  opportunity,  and  not,  in 
the  natural  perversity  of  a  woman,  refuse  to  see 
him,  and  so  make  herself  miserable,  altogether 
needlessly.  He  had  yet  to  learn  that  sometimes 
it  is  well  to  let  a  woman  inadvertently  discipline 
herself;  it  is  more  effective  than  if  the  man  does 
it;  and  usually  saves  him  a  vast  amount  of  re- 


246  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

crimination.  Then,  too,  he  did  not  want  Dehra  to 
know  of  this  intended  night  visit  to  the  Ferida, 
where  the  natural  prospect  was  duplicity  and  mur- 
der, and  only  Madeline  Spencer's  worthless  word 
to  guarantee  its  safety.  As  it  was  now,  if  he  ex- 
plained at  all,  it  would  have  to  be  down  to  the 
minutest  detail,  and  he  could  foresee  what  the  Re- 
gent would  have  to  say  about  any  such  adventure 
on  his  part.  Yet  if  the  Ferida  party  went  he  must 
lead  it — and  the  Ferida  party  was  going. 

So  when  he  reached  the  Epsau,  he  was  almost 
hoping  to  find  a  message  from  the  Princess  that 
he  was  not  expected  for  dinner.  But  it  was  not 
there,  nor  had  it  come  when  he  started  for  the 
Palace,  though  he  waited  until  the  very  last 
moment. 

He  found  Moore  pacing  the  corridor,  on  watch 
for  him,  but  with  nothing  to  clear  up  the  situation. 

"  And  I  've  spent  most  of  the  time  since  I  got 
back,"  he  ended,  "  in  prancing  up  and  down  here, 
trying  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Mademoiselle,  or  some 
one,  who  might  give  me  an  inkling  of  the  tempera- 
ture inside — all  on  your  account,  sir,  of  course; 
I  'm  getting  used  to  this  freezing  and  thawing 
process." 

"  Very  good,  Colonel,  then  we  will  go  right  in, 
and  you  can  be  thawing  while  I  am  explaining — 
come  along,  man,  come  along,"  and  taking  him  by 
the  arm  they  went  on  down  the  corridor,  and  en- 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    247 

tered  the  Princess'  small  reception  room  next  her 
boudoir. 

"  Announce  us,"  said  the  Archduke  to  the  foot- 
man, "  but  say  to  Her  Highness  that  I  would  like 
a  few  minutes  private  speech  with  her — and  to 
Mademoiselle  d'Essolde  say  that  Colonel  Moore  has 
a  message  from  me  and  awaits  her  here.  .  . 
I  leave  that  message  to  your  Irish  wit,"  he  re- 
marked, when  the  servant  had  gone. 

But  the  man  was  very  slow  in  returning,  and 
presently  Moore  laughed. 

"  It 's  getting  chilly,"  he  observed — "  notice  it?  " 

The  boudoir  room  swung  open  and  Mile.  d'Es- 
solde came  in. 

"  Can't  say  I  do,"  said  the  Archduke  aside,  as 
he  acknowledged  her  curtsy ;  "  looks  very  charming 
to  me." 

She  gave  the  Archduke  a  smile,  Moore  a  look 
of  indifferent  greeting,  and  then  Armand  another 
smile. 

"  My  mistress  receives  Your  Highness,"  she  said, 
holding  back  the  door;  and  quite  ignoring  Moore's 
effort,  as  he  sprang  forward  to  relieve  her. 

Under  the  chandelier,  where  sixty  candles  flut- 
tered their  mellow  light  about  her,  the  Regent  of 
Valeria  was  standing;  but  her  eyes  were  on  the 
red  rose  she  was  slowly  pulling  apart,  nor  did  she 
lift  them  when  Armand  entered.  Having  come 
in  a  little  way,  slowly  and  with  purposeful  delib- 
eration, he  stopped,  and  leaning  on  his  sword  tar- 


248  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

ried  for  her  to  speak;  and  willing  that  she  should 
not,  for  a  while,  that  so,  he  might  have  this  picture 
long  enough  to  see  it  ever  after — this  white-robed, 
fair-headed  daughter  of  the  Dalbergs,  waiting  to 
pass  judgment  on  her  betrothed. 

The  last  petal  fell;  she  plucked  another  rose — 
a  white  one — from  her  corsage,  and  looked  up. 

"  You  may  speak,  sir,"  she  said,  in  voice  an 
impersonal  monotone. 

The  Archduke  bowed. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  he  replied. 

She  raised  her  eye-brows  in  polite  surprise. 

"  I  thought  you  had  requested  ten  minutes  pri- 
vate speech  with  me." 

"  I  did,"  said  Armand,  "  but  I  withdraw  the 
request;  explanations  are  vain,  when  one  has  been 
already  judged,  and  judged  unheard." 

"  One  who  is  taken  red-handed  can  have  no  ex- 
planation that  explains,"  said  she. 

Then,  of  a  sudden,  out  flashed  the  adorable  smile, 
and  she  laughed,  and  flung  him  the  white  rose. 

"  There,  dear,"  she  said,  "  there,  is  your  pardon 
— now,  come,"  and  she  held  out  both  hands ;  "  come 
and  forgive  me  for  this  afternoon." 

And  when  he  had  forgiven  her,  she  put  him  in  a 
chair  and  perched  herself  on  the  arm  beside  him. 

"  Tell  me,  Armand,"  she  said,  "  are  we  never 
to  be  free  of  that  awful  woman? — where  did  she 
come  from? — how  did  she  happen  to  be  at  the 
Inn?" 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    249 

"  And  how  did  I  happen  to  be  with  her  there, 
you  want  to  know,"  he  laughed. 

She  nodded.  "  That  more  than  all — yet  I  did  n't 
ask  it." 

He  took  out  the  anonymous  letter,  which  he 
had  remembered  to  get  from  Courtney ;  and  when 
she  had  read  it,  he  tore  it  into  bits. 

"  Will  you  have  the  explanation  that  explains 
now  or  during  dinner?  "  he  asked. 

She  sprang  up. 

"  I  forgot  I  was  hungry !  Come  we  will  get 
Elise  and  Moore — that  girl  is  a  rare  coquette;  she 
makes  my  poor  Adjutant's  life  very  miserable." 

"  It  looks  like  it ! "  said  Armand  opening  the 
door  just  as  Moore  caught  Mile.  d'Essolde  and 
kissed  her,  despite  her  struggles. 

"  I  warned  you,  my  lady,"  he  was  saying,  "  you 
would  tempt  me  too  far  some  day  .  .  »  . 
will  you  forgive  me  now,  or  shall  I  do  it  all  over 
again?  " 

The  Princess  laughed.  Moore's  arms  dropped 
and  he  sprang  back,  while  Mile.  d'Essolde,  flaming 
with  embarrassment  and  anger,  buried  her  face  in 
her  hands. 

"  Forgive  him  until  after  dinner,  Elise,"  said 
Dehra ;  "  you  can  retract  then,  and  resume  the  sit- 
uation, if  you  wish." 

"  O  wise  and  beneficent  ruler ! "  said  Moore, 
bowing  to  the  ground,  "  I  agree  to  the  compro- 
mise." 


250  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Mile.  d'Essolde  looked  at  him  in  contemptuous 
scorn — though,  in  truth,  she  was  more  inclined  to 
laugh ;  she  never  could  be  angry  with  her  Irishman, 
for  long. 

"You  savage,"  she  said,  "you  brutal  savage; 
don't  ever  speak  to  me  again." 

He  stepped  forward  and  offered  his  arm,  with 
all  the  suavity  he  knew  so  well. 

"  Never  again  after  dinner,  mademoiselle,"  he 
said  sadly ;  "  meanwhile,  the  pleasure  is  mine." 

And  to  his  surprise  she  took  his  arm;  and  when 
the  others'  backs  were  turned,  she  looked  up  and 
smiled,  the  impudently  provoking  smile  he  had 
suffered  under  so  long,  and  had  at  last  punished. 

"  My  compliments,  Monsieur  Ralph,  on  your 
adroit  proficiency," — and  the  tone  and  manner 
were  as  provoking  as  the  smile — "  it  is  quite  unnec- 
essary to  refer  to  what  it  proves." 

"  As  much  so,  as  to  refer  to  what  enables  one 
to  recognize  proficiency,"  he  agreed. 

"  And  if  all  the  men  I  know  are  like  you,  sir — " 

He  bent  down. 

"  Now  that  is  an  inference  I  'm  curious  to  hear." 

"  Do  you  want  them  to  be  like  you?  "  she  asked, 
eyes  half  closed  and  glances  sidelong — "  because, 
if  you  do,  it  would  be  rather  easy  to  oblige  you — 
and  may  be  not  unpleasant — and  I  can  begin  with 
His  Highness  of  Lotzen — truly  it 's  a  pity,  now, 
I  ruined  my  frock  so  needlessly  this  morning,  in 
the  japonica  walk ;  "  and  giving  him  no  time  for 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    251 

reply,  she  dropped  his  arm  and  glided  quickly  into 
the  chair  the  bewigged  and  powdered  footman  was 
holding  for  her. 

No  mention  of  the  Twisted  Pines  was  made  until 
the  coffee  was  being  served;  then  the  Princess  mo- 
tioned for  the  liqueur  also  to  be  put  on  the  table, 
and  dismissed  the  servants. 

Drawing  out  her  case,  and  lighting  a  Nestor, 
she  smiled  at  the  Archduke,  and  at  his  nod  passed 
the  cigarette  across; — and  when  Colonel  Moore 
looked  inquiringly  at  Mile.  d'Essolde,  she  shrugged 
her  pretty  shoulders  and  gave  him  hers. 

"  You  know  what  it  implies,  Elise,"  Dehra  re- 
marked.— "  No? — then  ask  Colonel  Moore  to  tell 
you  sometime — now,  we  're  to  hear  the  explanation 
that  explains — the  Tale  of  the  Veiled  Lady  of  the 
Inn,"  and  she  looked  at  Armand 

When  he  had  finished,  the  Princess  offered  no 
comment,  but  frowned  and  played  with  her  cig- 
arette ;  and  the  Archduke,  ever  glad  for  any  excuse 
to  look  at  her,  and  very  ready  to  be  silent  the 
better  to  look,  watched  her  in  undisguised  devotion. 

"  What 's  the  plot  behind  it  ?  "  she  demanded, 
suddenly ;  "  I  can't  make  it  out — it 's  absurd  to 
fancy  that  woman  honest,  though  I  'm  perfectly 
sure  Lotzen  has  the  Book.  But  why — why  should 
he  want  to  show  it  to  us?  Not  out  of  love  nor 
friendship,  surely;  nor  bravado,  either;  our  dear 
cousin  is  n't  given  to  any  such  weakness.  So  it 
must  be  simply  a  rather  clumsy  attempt  to  lure 


252  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

you  to  the  Ferida  for  slaughter — and  that,  again, 
seems  unlikely ;  for  Ferdinand  is  n't  clumsy,  nor 
would  he  want  you  murdered  in  his  Palace;  and 
as  to  the  provision  that  you  need  not  go — or  that 
you  may  take  a  dozen  with  you  if  you  wish — and 
if  you  don't  go,  that  she  preferred  Colonel  Moore, 
or  some  one  with  brains  and  a  sword — all  that,  I 
say,  is  too  amazingly  inconsistent  with  anything 
except  entire  honesty  for  my  poor  brain  to  solve." 

"  Don't  try,  my  dear,"  the  Archduke  laughed. 
"  We  will  give  you  the  solution  to-morrow." 

She  laid  aside  her  cigarette,  and,  folding  her 
arms  on  the  table,  surveyed  him  in  displeased 
surprise. 

"  Surely,  Armand,  you  don't  mean  that  you 
are  going?  "  she  asked. 

He  nodded,  smilingly. 

"Why  not?"  he  asked— "  the  Colonel  and  I, 
with  a  few  good  blades,  and  the  Veiled  Lady's 
promise  to  protect  us." 

"  But  it 's  absurd,  perfectly  absurd,  for  you  to 
take  such  risk.  At  the  best,  you  are  obligated  only 
to  look,  to  make  no  attempt  to-night  to  recover 
the  Book ;  and  at  the  worst  you  can  only  fight  your 
way  out  of  the  trap.  In  the  one  case,  Colonel 
Moore  can  do  the  looking  as  well  as  you — in  the 
other,  their  plot  to  kill  you  will  have  failed  and 
your  substitutes  will  be  given  some  excuse  by  Spen- 
cer and  let  go  in  peace — oh,  it 's  worse  than  absurd 
for  you  to  go,  Armand," — she  saw  from  his  ex- 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    253 

pression  that  her  argument  was  futile — "  and  you 
know  it,  too ;  and  you  're  going  only  because  you 
like  the  excitement,  and  to  show  Lotzen,  like  a  big 
boy,  you  're  not  to  be  dared." 

The  Archduke  laughed  at  her  indulgently. 

"  May  be  I  am,  little  girl,"  he  said ;  "  but  I  've 
made  up  my  mind  to  fight  this  business  out  myself, 
and  that  sends  me  to  the  Ferida  to-night.  I  '11  take 
every  precaution " 

"  Except  the  proper  one  of  staying  away,"  she 
interrupted.  "  You  're  struggling  for  a  Crown, 
man,  and  mad  rashness  has  no  place  in  the  game. 
Play  it  like  Lotzen,  in  the  modern  way,  not  like 
the  Middle  Ages: — he  uses  its  methods,  true  enough, 
but  lets  others  execute  his  plans  and  face  the 
perils." — She  put  out  her  hand  to  him. — "  Come, 
dear,  be  reasonable,"  she  begged ;  "  be  kind ;  even 
the  wildest  idea  of  leadership  does  not  obligate  you 
to  go." 

He  took  her  hand  and  held  it,  with  the  firm,  soft 
pressure  of  abiding  affection,  looking  the  while 
into  her  fair  face,  flushed  now  with  the  impetuous 
earnestness  of  her  fear  for  him. 

"  I  think  it  does,  Dehra,"  he  said  gravely.  "  It 
is  our  duty  to  the  country  to  find  the  Laws  and 
settle  the  Succession  at  the  quickest  possible 
moment " 

"  Yes,  It  is,  but " 

"  And  there  are  but  three  in  the  Kingdom  who 
have  ever  seen  the  Book,  you  and  Lotzen  and  my- 


254  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

self;  and  there  must  be  no  question  as  to  its  abso- 
lute identification,  before  you  as  Regent  resort 
to  force  to  recover  it — force  that  may  necessitate 
the  taking  of  the  Ferida  by  assault.  Therefore, 
dear,  I  must  go,  for  /  must  see  the  Book.  Assume, 
just  for  illustration,  that  Colonel  Moore  brings  a 
description  that  seems  to  correspond  to  the  Laws; 
you,  as  Regent,  formally  accuse  the  Duke  of  Lotzen 
of  having  the  Book  and  demand  its  instant  sur- 
render; and  upon  his  indignant  denial  that  he  has 
it,  and  his  offered  readiness  to  have  his  Palace 
searched,  you  order  me,  as  Governor  of  Dornlitz, 
to  have  my  rival's  residence  invaded  and  subjected 
to  the  ignominy  of  a  mandat  de  perquisition;  or , 
again,  he  may  deny  the  Book  without  demanding 
a  search,  and  submit  to  it  only  under  protest;  or 
he  may  refuse  to  permit  the  search  and  oppose  it 
by  force.  And  whichever  the  case  may  be,  the  Book 
will  not  be  found — he  will  take  very  careful  pre- 
caution, as  to  that,  you  may  be  sure.  And  what 
will  my  position  be  then,  with  the  House  of  Nobles? 
— when  our  only  explanation,  for  such  fruitless 
insult,  is  that  some  one  saw  a  book,  which  he  de- 
scribed to  us,  and  which  we  thought  was  the  Laws. 
Indeed,  though  it  had  n't  occurred  to  me  before, 
it  may  be  just  such  a  condition  that  he  is  playing 
for-—" 

"  But,  my  dear  Armand,"  the  Princess  inter- 
rupted, "  would  it  be  any  advantage  even  if  we 
could  say  that  you  saw  it  ?  " 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    255 

"  An  incalculable  advantage,  Dehra ;  I  know  the 
Book — there  could  not  be  any  chance  for  mistake; 
and  it  would  then  be  my  word  against  Lotzen's,  an 
even  break,  as  it  were;  whereas,  otherwise,  it  will 
be  his  word  against  our  guess.  Yet,  indeed,  in  this 
aspect,  it 's  very  doubtful  if  we  ought  to  resort  to 
open  measures  against  him,  even  if  I  saw  the  Book. 
It  would  be  a  question  for  careful  consideration 
and  counsel  with  all  our  friends — and  it  is  but  right 
that  I  should  be  able  to  assure  them  that  I,  myself, 
saw  it,  and  recognized  it  beyond  a  doubt.  It 's 
worth  all  the  danger  it  may  involve;  though  I 
don't  anticipate  any — the  more  I  think,  the  more 
I  believe  we  have  solved  the  riddle.  Lotzen  wants 
some  one  to  see  the  Book — he  much  prefers  it 
should  n't  be  I ;  he  fancies  I  will  gladly  send  a  sub- 
stitute; and  he  takes  me  for  a  hot-headed  fool,  who 
then  will  promptly  play  out  for  him  the  rest  of 
his  game,  landing  him  on  the  Throne  and  myself 
beyond  the  border." 

The  Princess  had  listened  with  growing  convic- 
tion that  he  was  right;  now  she  turned  to  Moore. 

"  And  what  is  your  best  judgment?  "  she  asked. 

"  That  His  Highness  has  the  argument,"  was 
the  prompt  reply ;  "  and  I  confess  I  was  hitherto 
of  your  mind,  and  urged  him,  all  I  might,  to  let 
me  go  in  his  stead.  Now,  I  am  convinced  not  only 
that  we  should  verify  Mrs.  Spencer's  story,  but 
that  the  Archduke  must  do  it." 


256  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  And  because  he  has  seen  the  Book,  and  can 
identify  it  beyond  doubt  ?  " 

"  Exactly  that,  Your  Highness ;  such  identifica- 
tion is  vital." 

Dehra  nodded  and  sipped  her  cordial  medita- 
tively; while  Armand  watched  her  in  sudden  dis- 
quiet ;  he  had  seen  that  look  on  her  face  a  few  times 
only,  and  it  always  presaged  some  amazing  decision 
that  was  immutable — and  not  always  to  his  ap- 
proval. When  she  raised  her  eyes,  it  was  with  the 
conquering  smile  that  he  had  never  yet  stood  out 
against  for  long. 

"  Armand,"  said  she,  "  you  and  Colonel  Moore 
have  persuaded  me;  it  is  right  for  you  to  go,  and 
I  '11  go  with  you ': 

"  What !  You!  "  the  Archduke  cried — "  are  you 
crazy,  child  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least,  dear ;  only  very  sensible  to 
your  cogent  logic — who  can  identify  the  Book  so 
well  as  I,  who  have  known  it  all  my  life;  you  have 
seen  it  but  once,  you  know." 

"But  the  danger!" 

"  There  is  n't  any  danger,  you  said — and  if 
there  were,  the  Regent  of  Valeria  will  be  the  best 
sort  of  protector  for  you." 

"  But  you  will  have  to — go  into  Madeline  Spen- 
cer's apartments — may  be  remain  there  half  the 
night,"  he  protested. 

"  And  much  more  seemly  for  me  than  for  you,  my 
dear,  and  much  less — tempting." 


A  TOO  CONVINCING  ARGUMENT    257 

He  joined  in  her  laugh,  but  shook  his  head  and 
turned  to  Moore. 

"  Colonel,  will  you  oblige  me  by  telephoning 
Mrs.  Spencer  we  shall  not  be  there  to-night;  word 
it  any  way  you  wish." 

"  Colonel  Moore,"  said  the  Princess  sharply, 
"  you  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  The  Regent 
of  Valeria  requires  the  attendance  of  the  Governor 
of  Dornlitz  and  yourself  to  the  Ferida  Palace  this 
night — and  in  the  interval,  you  both  will  hold  your- 
selves here  in  readiness." 

Armand  would  have  protested  again,  but  she 
cut  him  short  with  a  peremptory  gesture. 

"  It  is  settled,"  she  said ;  then  added,  almost 
vehemently :  "  surely,  you  can't  think  I  want  to 
see  that  awful  woman ! — but  it 's  the  only  sure  way 
to  block  Lotzen's  game.  The  Nobles  will  take  my 
word  as  to  the  Book — and  so  will  the  Army,  and 
the  people,  too.  No,  I  must  go." 


17 


xvn 

INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE 

THEY  had  gone  into  the  library  for  a  rubber 
of  bridge,  until  it  was  time  to  start  for  the  Ferida. 
Now  there  came  a  chime  from  the  mantel,  and 
Dehra  glanced  at  the  old  French  clock  that  her 
Bourbon  ancestress  had  brought  with  her — among 
wagon  loads  of  clothes  and  furniture — when  she 
came  to  be  wife  to  Henry  the  Third. 

"  Well,  Armand,"  she  said,  "  if  we  are  to  be 
at  our  dear  cousin's  rear  gate  at  eleven,  I  suppose 
it's  the  last  moment  for  me  to  change  my  gown, 
this  one  is  n't  especially  appropriate — have  you 
anything  in  particular  to  suggest  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  he  smiled,  "  nothing ;  except  that 
you  don't  make  yourself  any  more  attractive  than 
is  absolutely  unavoidable." 

"  And  that  I  conceal  my  identity  as  much  as 
possible,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly — and  the  more  effective  the  con- 
cealment, the  better." 

She  laid  aside  the  cards  she  was  shuffling  and 
arose. 

"  Will  you  come  with  me,  Elise  ? "  she  asked. 
"  You  can  help  me  with  the  disguise." 

Moore  closed  the  door  behind  them,  and  going 
258 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE          259 

over  to  a  side-table  poured  out  a  very  stiff  drink. 

"  I  don't  like  it ! "  he  said,  turning  around,  the 
glass  half  emptied,  and  tossing  off  the  remainder; 
"  I  don't  like  it,  a  little  bit! " 

"  Then  it 's  appalling  to  think  what  you  would 
take  if  you  did  like  it,"  the  Archduke  commented. 

The  Colonel  laughed  and  poured  out  a  trifle 
more. 

"The  liquor  is  all  right,"  he  laughed;  "it's 
this  notion  of  Her  Highness  I  don't  like." 

Armand  had  begun  to  deal  solitaire,  but  he 
stopped  and  tossed  the  cards  together. 

"  I  wonder  if  Mademoiselle  d'Essolde  could  per- 
suade her  to  give  it  up  ?  "  he  said. 

"  She  would  n't  try — she,  too,  wanted  to  go. 
I  blocked  that,  however;  I  told  her  that  one  foolish 
virgin  was  as  much  as  we  could  look  after  in  this 
mess,  and  that  she  would  best  stay  home  and  trim 
the  lamps.  It  was  n't  a  happy  remark,  I  fear,  but 
it  did  the  business — you  will  have  to  give  me 
another  message  for  her  to-morrow.  Meanwhile, 
I  must  go  over  and  do  a  bit  of  dress  changing 
myself — shall  I  need  a  mask  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  better  take  one." 

The  Archduke  was  in  the  uniform  of  a  general 
officer,  dark  green  evening  coat  and  trousers,  with 
buff  waistcoat ;  and  unadorned  save  for  the  nar- 
row gold  cord  on  the  shoulder,  the  insignia  on  the 
sleeves,  and  the  braid  on  the  leg  seam.  Because 
Dehra  liked  him  best  in  the  Red  Huzzar  dress,  he 


260  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

always  wore  it  when  he  dined  with  her;  for  to- 
night, however,  it  was  entirely  too  showy  and 
hampering,  and  he  had  chosen  the  one  quietest  in 
tone  and  best  suited  for  quick  action. 

Left  alone,  he  tried  the  solitaire  again;  but  it 
got  on  his  nerves,  and  after  a  minute  of  listless 
playing,  he  sprang  up,  with  an  exclamation  of 
disgust,  and  began  to  pace  the  floor.  Presently 
Moore  returned,  in  the  fatigue  uniform  of  the 
General  Staff,  with  its  easy-fitting  jacket,  and 
was  immediately  sent  back  to  telephone  the  Se- 
cret Police  to  spread  a  loose  cordon  around  the 
Ferida,  with  a  dozen  men  loitering  in  close  vicinity 
to  every  gate»  There  was  no  anticipating  what 
they  were  about  to  encounter,  so  it  was  well  to 
provide  for  the  worst.  It  was  his  duty  to  pro- 
tect the  Regent  whether  she  wished  it  or  not;  and 
though  he  might  not  take  them  inside  with  her, 
yet  if  the  occasion  arose,  a  pistol  shot  would  bring 
them  very  quickly. 

**  It 's  growing  late,"  he  remarked,  as  the  Ad- 
jutant came  back;  "if  we  are  to  be  there  on 
time  we  must  start." 

He  was  going  toward  the  bell  when  voices  in  the 
next  room  told  him  the  Princess  was  coming;  and 
she  entered — a  slender  officer  in  a  long  military 
coat,  and  a  soft  felt  service  hat. 

The  two  men  mechanically  raised  their  hands  in 
salute,  and  she  acknowledged  it  with  formal  mo- 
tion and  a  merry  laugh. 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE  261 

"Will  I  pass?"  she  asked. — "See,  the  hat 
covers  my  hair,  and  its  wide  brim  shadows  my  face ; 
the  coat  reaches  almost  to  my  feet,  and  its  big 
collar  quite  hides  the  back  of  my  head;  and,  as 
for  what 's  under  the  coat,  see  again  " — and  loosing 
the  frogs,  she  swung  it  back,  disclosing  the  tunic 
of  her  Blue  Guards,  and,  below  it,  the  close-fitting 
knee  skirts,  and  high  spiral  puttees  of  a  shooting 
suit. 

"  And  is  that  as  unattractive  as  you  could  make 
yourself? "  the  Archduke  asked,  with  affected 
seriousness,  as  he  fastened  her  coat  and  adjusted 
her  sword. 

"  It 's  as  unobtrusive  as  I  could  make  myself — 
some  day,  if  you  wish,  sir,  I  '11  show  you  just  how 
unattractive  I  can  be." 

But  he  only  laughed,  and,  taking  her  hand,  hur- 
ried her  to  the  carriage. 

On  the  drive,  he  told  her  briefly  how  they  were 
to  reach  Mrs.  Spencer's  apartments,  and  cautioned 
her,  as  tactfully  as  he  could,  against  doing  any- 
thing which  might  serve  to  disclose  her  identity. 

"  Don't  worry,  dear,"  she  said,  "  I  'm  going 
simply  to  see  the  Book;  I  shall  not  even  speak 
without  permission — you  are  in  command,  not  I;" 
and  she  found  his  hand,  and  held  it;  rather  sorry 
now  that  she  had  ordered  her  Adjutant  inside  with 
them,  when  he  was  about  to  mount  his  horse  to 
follow. 


262  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Will  there  be  others  with  us  ? "  she  asked, 
presently. 

"  Yes,  Captain  De  Coursey  and  Lieutenant 
Marsov,  of  the  Cuirassiers;  both  guaranteed  by 
Colonel  Moore  to  be  skillful  swordsmen,  and 
friendly  to  me  as  against  Lotzen." 

"  And  besides,"  the  Adjutant  added,  "  devoted 
to  an  adventure,  and  in  discretion  unsurpassed." 

"  Will  you  tell  them  who  I  am  ? "  she  asked. 

The  Archduke  hesitated "  No, 

not  unless  it  becomes  necessary;  it  would  only  make 
them  unduly  nervous;  but  if  trouble  come,  they 
must  know." 

"  I  can  protect  myself,  a  little  while,"  said  she, 
slapping  her  sword  in  laughing  bravado;  though 
indeed  she  was  very  clever  with  the  foils. 

To  her  quick  eye  and  natural  talent  had  been 
added  years  of  careful  training  under  expert 
maitres;  for,  to  Frederick,  she  was  both  son  and 
daughter,  and  he  had  encouraged  her  in  everything 
that  went  to  strengthen  body  or  mind.  Yet  she 
was  so  very  modest  about  it,  that  only  very  lately 
had  even  Armand  known  of  her  proficiency;  and 
now,  he  regularly  put  on  the  mask  and  plastron 
with  her,  and  had  her  present  when  Moore  and 
he  were  practicing. 

"  And  for  more  than  a  little  while,"  the  Arch- 
duke replied ;  "  and  if  you  do  have  to  draw,  try  to 
forget  you  're  fencing  with  pointed  weapons,  and 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE          263 

bear  in  mind  only  that  you  must  not  be  touched." 

She  leaned  closer  to  him. 

"  Goodness  Armand,  you  make  me  afraid,"  she 
said,  with  a  little  shiver ;  "  I  don't  want  to  fight 
any  one." 

"  Please  God  you  won't  have  to,  dear,  but  if 
you  do,  remember  that  the  surest  way  to  save  your 
life  is  to  take  the  other  fellow's." 

She  shivered  again.  "  I  should  n't  want  to  be 
a  man." 

He  slipped  his  arm  around  her  and  bent  down. 

"  Let  me  send  you  back  to  the  Palace,  sweet- 
heart," he  whispered — "  for  my  sake  go  back." 

"  It  is  for  your  sake  I  'm  going  on,"  she  an- 
swered, "  and — I  '11  kill  the  other  fellow  if  I  have 
to — but  I  don't  want  to." 

The  carriage  drew  in  to  the  curb  and  stopped. 
It  was  on  a  side  street  near  the  rear  gate  of  the 
Ferida,  and  as  the  Archduke  got  out,  two  officers 
in  quiet  uniforms  and  capes,  who  were  walking 
slowly  along,  halted,  and,  after  a  glance,  came 
up  and  saluted.  They  were  De  Coursey  and 
Marsov. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  attendance,"  said  the 
Archduke;  and  leaving  it  for  Moore  to  acquaint 
them  with  as  much  of  the  business  in  hand  as  was 
necessary,  he  linked  arms  with  the  Regent  and 
they  went  leisurely  on;  there  was  ample  time,  and 
they  reached  the  entrance  as  the  Cathedral  bell 
rang  the  hour. 


264  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  great  gate  was  closed  and  locked,  but  in 
it  was  a  small  one,  so  cleverly  hidden  among  the 
frets  and  ornaments  that  the  Archduke  had  trouble 
in  locating  it,  and  still  more  in  finding  the  catch, 
which  Mrs.  Spencer  had  engaged  would  not  be 
fastened. 

Across  the  street  a  number  of  men  were  loiter- 
ing, and  two  came  hastily  over;  but  recognizing 
Colonel  Moore,  who  had  stepped  out  to  meet  them, 
they  made  a  quick  salute  and  were  returning,  when 
he  called  them  back. 

"  It  will  be  for  you  to  see  that  we  are  not 
locked  in,"  he  said,  and  following  the  others,  who 
had  already  entered,  he  closed  the  gate  behind 
him. 

The  drive  ran  between  great  oaks  straight 
toward  the  house,  but,  a  little  way  in,  a  narrow 
walk  branched  from  it  on  either  side  and  wound 
through  trees  and  between  hedges  to  the  side  gates, 
and  thence  on  to  the  front.  Mrs.  Spencer's  apart- 
ments were  in  the  wing  on  the  right,  and  her  in- 
structions were  to  proceed  by  the  path  on  that 
side  until  opposite  the  rear  of  her  suite;  then  by 
another  path  that  bisected  the  first,  and  which, 
crossing  the  driveway  between  the  rear  and  side 
gates,  led  to  the  house  and  close  under  her  win- 
dows; there,  at  the  first  small  door,  they  were  to 
knock. 

Eleven  o'clock  was  a  very  early  hour  at  Ferida 
Palace,  and  the  Archduke  looked  dubiously  at  the 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE  265 

lighted  windows  and  the  flitting  figures  inside, 
with  the  music  of  the  orchestra,  in  the  main  hall, 
throbbing  out  irregularly  in  bursts  of  rhythmic 
melody.  It  seemed  rather  absurd  for  five  people 
to  attempt  a  surreptitious  entrance  into  such  a 
place;  and  again  he  urged  the  Princess  to  return 
at  least  to  the  carriage,  and  await  him  there; 
but  without  success;  and  in  deep  misgiving  he 
went  on. 

They  gained  the  small  door  unseen,  and,  with 
a  quiet  word  of  warning,  he  knocked. 

From  within  came  an  answering  knock,  to  which 
he  responded  with  two  quick  taps,  twice  repeated; 
the  door  opened  a  little  way  and  Mrs.  Spencer's 
maid  peered  out;  then,  assured,  she  swung  it  back 
and  curtsied  them  inside. 

"  Suivez  de  pres,  messieurs,"  she  whispered,  fin- 
ger on  lips,  and  hurried  down  a  narrow  but  rather 
brightly  lighted  passage,  and  up  a  stairway,  and 
into  a  room  on  the  second  floor,  where  she  prayed 
that  they  wait  until  she  could  announce  them  to 
Madame. 

"  And  say  to  your  mistress,"  the  Archduke  or- 
dered, "  that  it  is  our  pleasure  not  to  intrude  upon 
her  until  everything  is  arranged  as  intended." 

"  If  Spencer  will  respect  the  request,  it  will 
be  much  easier  for  you,  dear,"  he  said  to  Dehra; 
"  when  we  are  watching  Lotzen,  the  boudoir  will 
have  to  be  in  darkness,  and  I  '11  take  care  that  we 
leave  the  moment  you  have  seen  the  Book." 


266  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Do  you  think  she  will  recognize  me  ? "  the 
Princess  asked. 

"  I  don't  know ;  it 's  hard  even  to  think  what 
she  can  do  or  will  do." 

"  At  least,  it  has  been  easy  thus  far,"  she 
laughed ;  "  almost  so  easy  as  to  indicate  a  trap." 

The  same  thought  had  naturally  been  in  his 
mind,  and  he  had  hoped  it  would  not  occur  to  her. 

"  Everything  has  worked  so  smoothly  it  rather 
suggests  the  reverse,"  he  said  confidently ;  "  but 
whatever  happen,  you  must  keep  with  me  or  Moore. 
— Gentlemen,  I  neglected  to  say  that  you  will 
retain  your  caps  until  I  remove  mine. — Lieutenant 
Marsov,  will  you  oblige  me  by  turning  off  all  the 
side  lights?" 

Presently,  from  somewhere  down  the  corridor, 
came  the  ripple  of  Madeline  Spencer's  laugh,  and 
the  ring  of  her  clear  voice. 

"  Good-night,  Monsieur  le  Comte !  I  thank  you 
for  the  dance,  and  all  the  rest;" — then  in  quieter 
tones :  "  no,  you  may  not  come  in ;  you  have  an- 
noyed the  Duke  quite  too  much  to-night,  as  it  is 
— to-morrow?  well,  may  be — tout  a  I'heure!  "  and 
the  laugh  again,  and  the  closing  of  a  door. 

The  Princess  looked  at  Armand  and  gave  a 
faint  shudder,  but  made  no  comment. 

In  a  moment  the  maid  returned.  "  It  is  as  you 
wish,  Monsieur  le — Monsieur,"  as  the  Archduke's 
gesture  stopped  the  title.  "  Madame  awaits  you 
at  once. 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE  267 

In  the  room  adjoining  the  boudoir,  the  Archduke 
left  the  others  and  went  in  alone. 

Mrs.   Spencer  curtsied. 

"  Your  Highness  honors  me,"  she  said. 

"  Pray,  madame,"  said  he,  returning  her  greet- 
ing with  the  curtest  of  military  salutes,  "  let  us 
eliminate  unnecessary  ceremony — this  is  an  official 
visit,  made  at  your  particular  request;  if  we  are 
ready  to  begin,  I  will  call  my  witnesses." 

She  watched  him  smilingly,  pressing  down  the 
roses  that  lay  across  her  breast — red  roses,  on  a 
black  gown  that  ended  far  below  the  dead-white 
neck  and  shoulders. 

"  What  a  cold-blooded  brute  you  are,  Armand," 
she  mocked.  "  Can  it  be,  that  the  pretty,  innocent, 
little  doll,  out  yonder  in  the  Palace,  has  found  a 
drop  that  is  warm  even  when  fresh  from  the 
heart?  " 

He  looked  at  her  in  steady  threat. 

"  Madame,  I  have  told  you  I  am  here  for  but 
one  purpose;  beyond  that,  even  in  conversation, 
I  decline  to  go.  I  tried  to  make  it  clear  to  you 
at  the  Inn,  how  I  would  come,  and  why.  I  do 
not  remember  your  record,  nor  even  know  your 
name;  if  I  did,  it  would  be  my  duty  to  send  you 
immediately  out  of  Valeria,  and  under  escort.  If, 
however,  you  presume  to  use  this  occasion  to  be- 
come offensive,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  remember, 
and  to  know." 


268  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

She  laughed  scoffingly,  and  taking  a  cigarette 
lighted  it. 

"  As  a  token  of  peace,"  she  said    softly,    and 

proffered  it  to  him "No? — I  thought 

Ferdinand  said  he  had  learned  it  from  you  and — 
but,  of  course,  it  does  make  a  difference  whose  are 
the  lips  that  kissed  it." 

The  Archduke  turned  abruptly  and  went  toward 
the  door;  another  such  word  and  he  might  forget 
she  was  a  woman.  She  might  be  able  to  show  him 
the  Book,  but,  even  could  she  give  it  to  him,  he 
would  not  have  it,  if  its  price  were  the  Princess 
on  her  tongue. 

She  saw  she  had  gone  too  far. 

"  Armand !  "  she  cried,  "  Armand !  stay — I  '11 
be  good — I  '11  be  good." — She  sprang  forward  and 
caught  his  arm — "  Don't  go — think  of  what  I 
can  show  you." 

"  Then  show  it,  madame,"  he  answered,  facing 
her  and  so  displacing  her  hand ;  "  show  it ;  and 
leave  off  personalities." 

Without  replying,  she  went  to  a  window,  and 
drew  the  shade  aside  a  little  way. 

"  Yes,  he  is  there,"  she  said,  "but  Bigler  is  with 
him  .  .  .  .  ah!  he  is  going — now,  we  shan't 
have  long  to  wait." — She  motioned  the  Archduke 
to  her.  "  See — there  should  n't  be  any  doubt  of 
the  identification,  if  he  give  you  a  chance  to  see  it." 

He  went  over  and  looked.  She  was  right;  nor 
would  they  need  the  field  glass  to  recognize  it. 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE          269 

Fifty  yards  away,  in  the  opposite  wing,  were 
Lotzen's  apartments — his  library  windows  raised, 
the  shades  high  up,  the  curtains  drawn  back;  and 
he,  himself,  at  the  big  table  under  the  chandelier, 
a  twin  drop-light  focused  on  the  writing  pad. 

And  even  while  the  Archduke  looked,  Lotzen 
arose  and  from  the  safe  behind  him  took  out  a 
package  wrapped  in  black. 

"  That 's  it ! "  Madeline  Spencer  exclaimed, 
"  that 's  it ! — Here  is  the  glass " 

He  lingered  for  another  glance,  before  summon- 
ing the  others — and  Mrs.  Spencer  forestalled  him. 

She  ran  to  the  door  and  flung  it  wide. 

"  Come,"  she  said,  "  come His  Highness 

needs  you." 

The  Princess  had  been  talking  to  Colonel  Moore, 
her  back  to  the  door;  as  it  opened,  she  threw  up 
her  head,  and  turned  with  an  eager  smile,  thinking 
it  was  Armand — and  so  gave  Mrs.  Spencer  a  full 
view  of  her  face.  Then  Moore  stepped  quickly 
between  them  and  suavely  bowed  Mrs.  Spencer  into 
her  boudoir;  the  next  moment  the  Archduke  was 
there. 

"  With  your  permission,  madame,  we  will  ex- 
tinguish the  lights,"  he  said,  "  and  raise  the 
shades." 

She  smiled  maliciously,  deliberately  moving  near 
enough  to  see  the  Princess  over  Moore's  shoulder. 

"  Extinguish  the  lights  ?  "  she  laughed,  "  cer- 
tainly ;  darkness  will  be  better  for  the  business,  and 


270  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

will  conceal — everyone,"  and  herself  went  over  to 
the  main  switch  at  the  corridor  door  and  pushed 
it  open. 

The  Princess  caught  Armand's  hand. 

"  She  recognized  me,"  she  whispered. 

"  Oh,  no,  dear ;  you  're  only  nervous,"  he  an^ 
swered — though  he  was  satisfied  she  was  right. 
"  Keep  your  hat  well  down,  and  don't  look  at  her ; 
the  moment  you  have  identified  the  Book,  we  will 
leave ;  you  go  with  Moore ;  I  '11  engage  the  vixen 
until  you  're  out  of  range." 

He  had  led  her  to  a  window  and  raised  the  shade. 
The  lights  from  the  Duke's  library  leaped  across 
the  garden  court  at  them,  but  he,  himself,  was 
not  visible,  though  on  the  table  lay  the  package, 
still  wrapped  in  black  as  when  taken  from  the 
safe.  Some  one  came  behind  them,  and  Armand 
glanced  over  his  shoulder — it  was  Mrs.  Spencer, 
and  she  was  looking  at  the  Princess;  nor  did  she 
cease,  though  she  knew  his  eyes  were  on  her;  in- 
stead, she  smiled  and  shot  him  a  quick  glance,  and 
resumed  the  looking.  He  felt  Dehra  begin  to 
tremble — whether  with  anger  or  nerves,  he  could 
not  tell — and  Mrs.  Spencer  spoke. 

"  Your  Highness'  companion  is  evidently  unused 
to  adventures,  despite  his  uniform;  he  is  actually 
twitching  with  excitement." 

"  Or  with  the  temptation  of  your  proximity," 
Armand  replied  giving  her  his  back.  And  Dehra 
laughed  softly. 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE 


Colonel  Moore  had  been  at  another  window; 
now  he  came  over,  and,  in  the  most  casual  way, 
found  Mrs.  Spencer's  hand  and  gave  it  a  familiar 
squeeze. 

"  You  're  pretty  enough  to-night  to  give  even 
an  old-stager  like  me  a  flutter,"  he  whispered  in  his 
most  caressing  tones,  and,  in  the  darkness,  slipped 
his  arm  around  her  waist. 

She  pushed  it  away,  though  not  very  vigorously 
it  seemed  to  him. 

"  You  are  impertinent,  sir,"  she  said. 

"  I  meant  to  be  ;  it  's  the  only  way  to  get  on 
with  you,"  and  he  deliberately  put  his  arm  around 
her  again,  and  rather  more  tightly.  "  Come  along 
to  my  window,"  he  urged. 

She  knew  very  well  that  his  purpose  was  to 
divert  her  from  the  Princess,  but  she  went  —  nor 
appeared  to  bother  that  his  arm  remained.  Here, 
was  a  new  sort  of  man,  with  a  new  sort  of  method, 
and  she  was,  if  the  truth  be  told,  very  willing  for 
them  both.  Besides,  her  time  would  come 
presently. 

"  Moore  is  a  wonder,"  Armand  commented  —  and 
broke  off,  as  the  Duke  came  into  view  and  sat  down 
at  his  table. 

But  Lotzen  was  in  no  haste  to  unwrap  the  pack- 
age; he  drew  it  over  and  slowly  loosed  the  cords, 
then  suddenly  laid  it  aside,  and  coming  over  to 
the  window,  seemed  on  the  point  of  drawing  the 
shade;  but  he  changed  his  mind,  and  after  staring 


272  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

into  the  garden  and  toward  Mrs.  Spencer's  apart- 
ments, he  returned  to  the  table. 

Without  more  ado  he  removed  the  black  cloth, 
but  pushed  it  in  a  heap,  so  that  it  hid  the  book — 
that  it  was  a  book,  they  could  distinguish,  but 
nothing  else — and  went  to  examining  some  papers 
he  took  from  it. 

The  Princess  stirred  restlessly;  her  nerves  were 
not  attuned  to  such  tension;  and  the  Archduke 
reassured  her  by  a  touch  and  a  word.  Over  at 
their  window,  Mrs.  Spencer  and  Colonel  Moore 
were  whispering,  and  laughing  softly,  the  latter, 
however,  with  a  wary  eye  across  the  courtyard. 
The  swinging  cadence  of  a  Strauss  waltz  came, 
brokenly,  from  the  orchestra  still  playing  in  the 
great  hall,  with,  now  and  then,  a  burst  of  men's 
voices  in  noisy  hilarity  from  the  card  rooms  or 
the  main  guard. 

Presently  the  Duke  put  down  the  papers,  and, 
pushing  aside  the  black  cloth,  disclosed  the  back 
of  the  book — black,  with  heavy  brass  hinge-bands 
across  it. 

"  Look,"    the   Princess    exclaimed,    "  look !   it 's 
very    like    it — why    does  n't    he    lift    the    cover 
.     .     .     .     there! — see,  the  pages,   too! — it  must 
be!— it  is!— it " 

*'  Run  away,  girl ! "  came  Count  Bigler's  voice 
from  the  corridor,  "  run  away,  I  say — you  're 
pretty  enough,  but  I  want  your  mistress  now." 
There  was  a  moment's  scuffle,  and  the  door  swung 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE          273 

back "Dark !  well,  *  let  there  be  light ! '  "  and 

he  snapped  the  switch. 

It  all  was  done  so  quickly  and  unexpectedly  that 
Mrs.  Spencer  was  caught  half  way  to  the  door, 
as  she  sprang  to  lock  it;  Armand  had  time  only 
to  push  the  Princess  away  from  the  window  and 
step  in  front  of  her;  while  Colonel  Moore,  with 
De  Coursey  and  Marsov,  tried  to  get  across  to 
cover  the  Archduke. 

But  they  failed.     Bigler  saw  him  instantly. 

"  The  American !  "  he  shouted,  "  the  Amer- 
ican ! "  and  wrenching  back  the  door,  he  disap- 
peared down  the  corridor. 

"  The  fool !  "  Madeline  Spencer  exclaimed ;  "  he 
has  spoiled  everything — quick,  you  must  get  away ; 
I  don't  want  another  De  Saure  house  here,"  with 
a  look  at  Armand — "  the  way  you  came  will  still 
be  open." — She  hurried  ahead  of  them  through  the 

rooms   to   the   stairway "I  've   been 

honest  and  I  want  to  prove  it,  but,"  she  laughed 
sneeringly  after  them,  "  the  next  time  Her  High- 
ness plays  the  man,  let  her  wear  a  mask  and  a 
larger  shoe."  The  noise  of  men  running  came  from 
below.  "  Hurry ! "  she  cried,  "  they  are  trying  to 
cut  you  off." 

With  the  Regent  between  them,  and  De  Coursey 
and    Marsov    behind,    the    Archduke    and    Moore 
dashed  down  the  lower  passage  to  the  small  door 
and  out  into  the  garden. 
18 


274  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Come  along ! "  said  Armand ;  "  we  don't  want 
a  fight;  make  straight  for  the  gate." 

Holding  Dehra's  arm,  he  ran  across  the  drive 
and,  avoiding  the  winding  path,  cut  over  the  grass 
—to  bring  up,  in  a  moment,  at  a  fountain  in  a 
labyrinth  of  thick  hedges  and  walks,  none  of  which 
seemed  to  lead  gateward. 

With  a  muttered  imprecation,  the  Archduke 
chose  the  one  that  pointed  toward  the  winding 
path  by  which  they  had  entered,  only  to  discover 
that  it  curved  back  toward  the  house. 

"  Take  the  hedge ! "  he  ordered ;  and  he  and 
Moore  tossed  the  Princess  over  the  seven  foot  ob- 
struction, and  were  swung  up,  themselves,  by  De 
Coursey  and  Marsov,  whom  they  then  pulled  across. 

But  this  took  time;  and  now  Bigler's  voice  rang 
from  the  garden. 

"  Make  for  the  side  gates — I  '11  look  to  the  rear 
one ! "  he  cried ;  and  almost  immediately  they  heard 
him  and  his  men  between  them  and  their  exit. 

The  Archduke  stopped. 

"  There  is  no  need  to  tire  ourselves  by  running," 
he  said ;  "  we  shall  have  to  fight  for  it,  so  we  may 
as  well  save  our  wind. — Gentlemen," — turning  to 
De  Coursey  and  Marsov — "  to-night  you  are  hon- 
ored above  most  men — you  will  draw  swords  for 
the  Regent  under  her  very  eye — behold !  " 

He  lifted  the  hat  from  the  Princess'  head,  and 
the  light  of  a  near-by  street  lamp,  that  shone 


INTO  THE  TIGER'S  CAGE  275 

above  the  walls,  fell  full  on  the  coils  of  high  piled 
hair,  and  the  fair  face  below  it. 

Both  men  cried  out  in  astonishment,  and,  kneel- 
ing, kissed  her  hand. 

Then  they  pressed  on,  finding  almost  immedi- 
ately the  path  by  which  they  had  entered. 

Meanwhile,  the  commotion  in  the  garden  near 
the  palace  had  increased,  and  now  the  Duke  of 
Lotzen's  stern  voice  cut  sharply  into  the  night, 
from  one  of  his  windows. 

"  What  the  devil  is  all  this  noise  ?  "  he  demanded. 
"  Thieves,  Your  Highness,"  some  one  answered 
from    below — "  five  of  them  in  madame's    apart- 
ments— they  escaped  into  the  garden." 

The  Duke  made  no  reply,  at  least  which  they 
could  hear;  and  the  Princess  laughed. 

"  He  's  off  for  madame,"  she  said ;  "  and  we  are 
thieves — rather  clever  of  Bigler  to  have  us  killed 
first  and  recognized  later." 

"  He  did  n't  see  you,"  said  Armand ;  "  he  rec- 
ognized me,  and  thinks  this  is  the  chance  he  missed 
at  the  De  Saure  house." 

A  moment  later  they  came  into  the  wide  drive- 
way, and  face  to  face  with  the  Count  and  a  bunch 
of  a  dozen  men. 

He  gave  a  shout  that  rang  through  the  garden. 
"  Seize    them !  "    he    cried ;    "  kill    any    that    re- 
sist !  "  knowing  very  well  that  it  would  require  the 
killing  of  them  all.     He,  himself,  drew  his  revolver 
and  stepped  to  one  side — a  safer  place  than  in  the 


276  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

fighting  line,  and  one  where  he  could  get  a  surer 
shot  at  the  Archduke,  if  it  were  necessary. 

But  even  twelve  men  hesitate  to  close  with  five, 
whose  swords  are  readjr ;  and  in  the  instant's  pause, 
Dehra,  flinging  off  her  hat,  sprang  between  Bigler 
and  the  Archduke,  and  covered  the  former  with 
her  pistol. 

"  God  in  Heaven !  the  Princess ! "  he  cried,  and 
stared  at  her. 

"  Will  you  play  with  treason,  my  lord  Count?  " 
she  asked.  "  Drop  that  revolver ! — drop  it,  I  say ! 
— and  you  men,  stand  aside ! — into  line,  so ! — return 
swords ! — now,  by  the  left  flank,  march ! — fall  in 
behind,  Count,  if  you  please — march !  " 

With  a  laugh  and  a  shrug  he  obeyed. 

"  The  Regent  commands,"  he  said. — "  Atten- 
tion !  salute ! "  and  with  hands  to  visors  the  column 
went  by;  while  Dehra,  fingers  at  forehead  in  ac- 
knowledgment, watched  it  pass  and  go  down  the 
drive  toward  the  Palace. 

Then  she  turned,  and  put  out  her  hand  to  the 
Archduke. 

"  I  'm  tired,  dear,"  she  said,  "  very  tired 

Captain  De  Coursey,  will  you  bring  the  carriage 
to  the  gate?" 


XVIII 

ON   TO   LOTZENIA 

"  IT  is  a  most  amazing  situation,"  said  the  Am- 
bassador— as  he  and  the  Archduke  sat  in  the  lat- 
ter's  headquarters,  the  following  morning — "  and 
one  guess  is  about  as  likely  to  be  right  as  another. 
It 's  difficult  to  believe  Spencer  honest,  and  yet 
she  seemed  to  play  straight  last  night.  She  is 
of  the  sort  who  fiercely  resent  a  blow  and  go  to 
any  length  to  repay  it.  And  you  think  Bigler's 
interruption  was  not  prearranged  ?  " 

"  It  impressed  me  that  way,"  said  Armand.  "  In 
fact,  I  sd  say  I  am  sure  of  it,  if  I  had  any  but 
Lotzen  or  Spencer  to  deal  with." 

"  And  you  saw  enough  of  the  book  to  be  satis- 
fied it  is  the  Laws?  " 

"  To  satisfy  myself,  yes — if  that  fool,  Bigler, 
had  waited  a  little  longer,  I  would  have  known 
beyond  a  doubt." 

"  And,  as  it  is,  you  can't  be  absolutely  certain  ?  " 

"No;  at  least,  not  certain  enough  to  make  an 
open  issue  of  it  with  Lotzen." 

Courtney  shook  his  head  decisively. 

"  It  is  a  great  misfortune  you  were  not  able  to 
make  sure,"  he  said ;  "  for  I  'm  persuaded  it  was 
not  the  Book.  As  I  told  Her  Highness  that  day 

277 


278  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

at  luncheon,  if  the  Duke  ever  did  have  it,  he  has 
destroyed  it  to  get  rid  of  Frederick's  decree;  and 
if  there  were  no  decree,  then  he  would  have  pro- 
duced it  instantly  as  establishing  his  right  to  the 
Crown." 

"  If  that  be  true — and  I  grant  the  logic  is  not 
easy  to  avoid — what  was  it  I  saw?  I  would  have 
sworn  it  was  the  Book;  it  resembled  it  in  every 
particular." 

Courtney's  fingers  went  up  to  his  gray  imperial, 
and  for  a  long  while  he  smoked  his  cigarette  and 
stared  thoughtfully  at  the  ceiling. 

"  It  is  a  fine  mess,"  he  said,  at  length ;  "  Spencer 
mixes  it  so  abominably.  What  really  brought  her 
to  Dornlitz? — how  long  has  she  been  here? — did 
the  Duke  strike  her — if  there  is  a  plot  back  of  it, 
why  should  she  have  been  selected  to  do  the  open 
work  with  you,  of  all  people? — why,  if  Lotzen 
have  the  Book,  does  n't  he  destroy  it  ? — why  does 
he  want  you  to  see  it  in  his  very  hands? — why,  if 
he  have  n't  the  Book,  does  he  want  to  convince  you 
that  he  has  ? —  .  .  .  .  If  it 's  a  plot,  then  its 
object  was  either  the  one  you  suggest :  to  tempt  you 
to  violent  measures  against  him  to  recover  the 
Book,  and  so  to  discredit  you  with  the  Nobles  when 
it 's  not  found ;  or — and  this  may  be  the  more  likely 
— to  inveigle  you  into  a  death  trap  by  using  the 
Book  as  a  lure." 

"  Either   of   which,"    observed     the     Archduke, 
"  would  explain  his   preservation   of  the  Book." 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  279 

"  Or  sentiment,"  Courtney  laughed.  "  Her 
Highness  thinks  the  Duke  would  never  destroy  the 
Laws  of  his  House." 

"  I  fancy  she  would  n't  be  quite  so  strong  on 
that  now,"  Armand  observed.  "  I  wish  you  had 
seen  her  last  night;  she  was  magnificent,  simply 
magnificent. — Richard,  she  is  the  Dalberg  of  us 
all ! — it 's  she,  not  I,  nor  Lotzen,  who  ought  to  wear 
the  Sapphire  Crown." 

Courtney  nodded   in   hearty  acquiescence. 

"  And  as  she  may  not,  it  is  for  you,"  he  said, 
gravely,  "  to  make  her  a  Queen  by  wearing  it 
yourself — and,  as  I  believe  I  've  admonished  once 
or  twice  heretofore,  to  do  that  you  must  keep 
alive — dead  Archdukes  are  good  only  to  bury." 

"  I  'm  very  much  alive,"  the  other  laughed, 
"  more  alive  than  I  've  been  since  I  shed  cadet 
gray." 

"  The  Lord  knows  it  is  not  from  lack  of  effort 
on  your  part  to  get  killed ;  you  've  tempted  death 
in  every  dare-deviltry  you  could  find — and  this 
De  Saure  house  affair  is  the  limit — though  last 
night  was  about  as  idiotic.  The  Princess  has  more 
discretion  in  an  eye-lash  than  you  have  in  your 
whole  head — but  for  her,  you  would  be  surrounded 
now  by  tapers  and  incense — what  fresh  atrocity 
against  common  prudence  will  you  perpetrate  next, 
I  wonder ! " 

The  Archduke  pushed  the  decanter  across. 

"  Take    another    drink,    old    man,"    he   grinned, 


280  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  you  must  be  dry,  with  such  a  warm  bunch  of 
ideas  jostling  one  another  for  exit — I  '11  promise 
to  be  as  discreet  hereafter  as  a  debutante.  I  admit 
the  De  Saure  business  appears  foolish  now,  but 
then,  at  that  hour  of  night,  in  darkness,  rain  and 
storm,  would  you,  or  any  other  man,  have  denied  a 
woman's  call  for  help  ?  I  could  n't." 

"  Nor  anything  else  that  promises  adventure," 
said  Courtney.  "  If  Lotzen  does  n't  make  an  end 

of  you "  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  lit 

another  cigarette  .  "  I've  sworn  a  dozen 

resolves  to  quit  advising  you ;  and  then,  every  time 
I  see  you,  you  've  gone  and  done  some  other  foolish 
thing,  and  I  blow  off — if  you  will  forgive  me  this 
time,  and  may  be  a  few  more  times,  I  '11  not  do  it 
again." 

"  My  dear  Dick,"  said  the  Archduke,  "  the  one 
thing  I  '11  not  forgive  is  for  you  not  to  do  it  again. 
You  're  the  only  man  in  all  this  land  who  would 
speak  out  his  mind  to  me;  and  do  you  think  it 
is  n't  welcome — to  have  something  of  the  old  life 
occasionally  ?  " 

For  a  while  both  men  smoked  in  silence,  the 
Marshal  thoughtfully,  the  Ambassador  waitingly; 
and  in  the  midst  of  it  Colonel  Bernheim  entered 
with  a  letter  for  the  Archduke,  which,  he  ex- 
plained, he  had  just  received,  enclosed  in  another 
envelope  addressed  to  himself  and  marked 
"  Immediate." 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  281 

Armand   glanced   at   Courtney    for   permission, 
got  it,  and  read  the  letter: 


"A 

"  We  are  leaving  Dornlitz  before  daybreak  by  special 
train,  ostensibly  for  Paris,  really  for  Lotzen  Castle. 
The  Duke  guessed  instantly  why  you  were  in  my  apart- 
ments, and  what  you  saw.  We  had  a  fearful  scene,  and 
he  struck  me  again — the  cur !  It  is  the  B. ;  he  admitted 
it,  in  his  rage — and  he  has  it  with  him.  I  am  a  prisoner 
now,  and  compelled  to  accompany  him  because  I  know 
too  much,  he  says.  I'm  not  asking  you  for  rescue,  I  can 
manage  him  in  a  few  days;  but  if  you  want  the  B.  you 
will  know  now  where  to  get  it.  I  owe  you  this,  for  the 

fiasco  last  night,  due  to  that  fool,  B ,  though  I  don't 

advise  you  to  follow;  Lotzen  Castle  isn't  Ferida  Palace, 
and  I  can't  aid  you  there;  and  besides,  now,  he  is  bent 
on  your  death,  and  intends  to  kill  you  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. I  will  find  some  way  to  have  this  mailed,  sending 
it  to  Col.  Bernheim  so  it  will  reach  you  promptly  and 
not  be  delayed  by  official  routine. 

"M.  S." 
"  3  A.  M." 

Without  a  word,  the  Archduke  passed  the  letter 
over  to  Courtney;  and  without  a  word  Courtney 
took  it,  read  it  twice,  and  passed  it  back;  and  fell 
to  blowing  smoke  rings  through  each  other. 

"  Well,"  said  Armand  presently,  "  when  you  're 
satisfied  with  the  rings,  and  it  seems  to  me  they 
could  n't  be  bettered,  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  your 
opinion  of  the  letter." 

The  other  shook  his  head,  and  went  on  with  the 
rings. 


282  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"What  is  the  use?"  he  answered.  "You  are 
going  to  Lotzenia." 

"  I  'm  sorely  tempted,  I  admit — but  I  don't 
know 

Courtney  flung  his  cigarette  at  the  fireplace, 
and  got  up. 

"  Then,  if  you  don't  know,  I  '11  tell  you  what 
I  think, — throw  that  damn  letter  into  the  fire  and 
stay  right  here  in  Dornlitz;  if  you  let  it  lure  you 
to  Lotzenia,  you  are  an  unmitigated  fool." 

"  But  the  Book ! — and  Spencer  only  confirms 
what  my  own  eyes  told  me." 

"  Lies,  lies,  rotten  lies !  "  said  Courtney.  "  He 
has  n't  the  Book — it 's  all  a  plant — you  escaped 
last  night  because  Bigler  blundered  in,  and  because 
the  Regent  was  with  you — but  in  that  wild  land 
of  the  North,  you  will  last  about  a  day,  or  less. 
Why  don't  you  forget  the  miserable  Book,  for  a 
while,  and  get  to  work  on  your  vote  in  the  House 
of  Nobles? — there  is  where  you  will  likely  have 
to  fight  it  out  any  way,  even  if  Frederick  did  make 
your  decree.  Play  politics  a  bit,  and  you  will  have 
Lotzen  back  in  Dornlitz  on  the  jump — and  the  Book 
with  him,  too,  if  he  has  it." 

The  Archduke  went  over  and  put  his  hand  on 
Courtney's  shoulder. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  "  it 's  something  worth  living 
for  to  have  known  a  man  like  you,  and  to  have 
had  him  for  a  friend  and  companion;  and  if  I 
don't  follow  your  advice  you  will  understand  it  is 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  283 

because  I  can't.  You  have  called  me  headstrong; 
I  grant  it,  it 's  bred  in  the  bone  I  think ;  and  I  'm 
not  of  those  who  can  sit,  and  wait,  and  play  poli- 
tics. I  shall  find  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs,  some- 
where, somehow,  long  before  the  year  is  over;  and 
if  necessary  I  'm  going  to  kill  Lotzen  in  the  find- 
ing— or  be  killed — "  he  broke  off  with  a  laugh  and 
a  shrug.  "  Positively,  old  man,  I  'm  ashamed  of 
myself;  I  seem  to  have  become  a  braggart  and  a 
swash-buckler." 

"  Who  is  the  braggart  and  swash-buckler,  my 
dear  Marshal  ?  "  asked  the  Princess,  entering  sud- 
denly, with  Lady  Helen  Radnor,  Mile.  d'Essolde 
and  Colonel  Moore,  "  not  Mr.  Courtney  I  hope." 

"  Unfortunately,  no,  Your  Highness,"  said 
Armand.  "  Candor  compels  me  to  admit  that  I 
was  characterizing  myself." 

She  pointed  her  crop  at  the  decanter,  and  nodded 
questioningly  to  the  Ambassador. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  no ;  it 's  only  a  sudden  rush 
of  remorse  for  deeds  past  and  to  come." 

"  To  come  ?  "  said  she,  and  looked  at  the  Arch- 
duke inquiringly. 

For  answer  he  handed  her  Madeline  Spencer's 
letter. 

She  glanced  at  the  signature,  smiled,  and  with 
a  word  of  excuse,  she  carried  it  over  to  a  window; 
and  Armand,  chatting  with  Lady  Helen,  watched 
her  curiously  as  she  read  and  re-read  it;  and  then 


284  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

she  looked  up  quickly,  and  gave  him  the  glance  of 
summons. 

"  Have  you  shown  it  to  Mr.  Courtney  ? "  she 
asked.  "Did  he  say  what  he  thought  of  it?" 

"  He  did — and  at  some  length,  and  also  what 
he  thought  of  me. — Briefly,  it  was  to  the  effect 
that  the  letter  is  a  snare,  and  that  I  'm  several 
kinds  of  a  fool  if  I  let  it  lure  me  to  Lotzenia." 

The  Princess  tapped  her  crop  softly  against 
her  boot,  and  considered. 

"  Of  course,"  said  she,  in  momentary  interrup- 
tion of  her  thought,  "  I  know  what  you  think — 

you  think  you  're  going, — but  I  don't  know " 

and  the  tapping  of  the  crop  began  afresh. 
Presently  a  soft  light  came  into  her 
eyes,  and  she  flashed  him  the  adorable  smile,  "  Are 
you  willing  to  wait  the  year  for  our  wedding, 
dear?  "  she  asked. 

He  bent  down  over  her,  as  though  looking  at 
something  in  the  letter. 

"  You  know  1 'm  not,  sweetheart,"  he  said, 
"  that 's  why  I  want  to  find  the  Laws — to  make 
you  Queen  the  sooner." 

"Your  Queen?" 

"  Mine — yes,  either  here  in  Valeria,  or  over  the 
seas  in  old  Hugo's  land — as  the  Book  decides  for 
Lotzen  or  for  me." 

"  And  do  you  honestly  think,  Armand,  that 
he  has  the  Book?" 

"  What  do  you  think?  "  he  asked. 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  285 

"  Women  don't  think — they  have  only  intuition, 
and  mine  says  that  he  has." 

"  Then  I  shall  go  this  night " 

"  And  I  with  you." 

"  Then  I  won't  go." 

"  Nonsense,  dear — why  not?  Dalberg  Castle 
is  always  ready,  and  I  shall  take  the  Household, 
or  part  of  it.  I  most  assuredly  would  not  let 
you  go  alone,  to  be  butchered  by  our  dear  and 
loving  cousin." 

He  knew  it  was  useless  to  protest. 

"  Well,  come  along,  little  woman,"  he  said ;  "  and 
may  be,  together,  we  can  devise  a  way  for  me  to 
get  the  Book  out  of  Lotzen  Castle." 

She  turned  upon  him,  full  faced  and  emphatic. 

"  But  I  '11  not  go,  nor  shall  you,"  she  declared, 
"  unless  you  promise  you  won't  do  anything  with- 
out consulting  me.  I  'm  going  because  you  need 
some  one  to  curb  your  recklessness;  and  I  ha\e  no 
mind  to  see  you  throw  your  life  away  just  because 
you  won't  take  a  dare." 

The  Archduke  gave  her  cheek  a  surreptitious 
pinch. 

"  I  promise,"  he  laughed ;  "  you  're  something 
of  a  Dalberg  dare-devil  yourself  when  the  fever 
is  on — and  you  're  the  finest  little  comrade  and 
commander  God  ever  made." 

Again  she  gave  him  the  smile — and  they  went 
back  to  the  others. 


286  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Mr.  Courtney,"  said  she,  at  once,  "  we  are 
about  to  spend  a  short  while  at  Dalberg  Castle, 
going  to-night  by  special  train,  with  a  few  mem- 
bers of  the  Household;  it  will  be  a  great  pleasure 
to  Armand  and  me  to  have  you  with  us." 

"  I  am  honored,"  said  the  Ambassador,  with 
a  grave  bow ;  "  I  shall  be  glad  to  go." 

"  Even  if  you  do  disapprove,"  said  she  lightly 
— "  but,  what  would  you,  monsieur !  I  don't  want 
to  imprison  Armand,  so  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is 
to  go  along  and  try  to  take  care  of  him ;  and  that 's 
where  you  can  help  me." 

"  And  that,  Your  Highness,  is  precisely  the  rea- 
son I  'm  going,"  he  answered ; — "  Warwick  will 
stick  to  his  work  to  the  end." 

"  The  end ! "  she  exclaimed,  with  sharp  seri- 
ousness. 

"  In  the  great  Cathedral  yonder,"  he  answered. 
— And  the  Princess,  thinking  only  of  the  corona- 
tion, smiled  and  glanced  with  proud  faith  at  the 
Archduke. 

But  to  the  latter  the  real  inference  went  home, 
and  sharply. 

"  The  crypt,  you  mean  ?  "  he  muttered  aside. 

And  Courtney  nodded  curtly. 

"  The  crypt  I  mean,"  he  said.  "  Even  Warwick 
and  Margaret  of  Anjou  together  could  not  save 
the  silly  Henry." 

But  the  old,  lean-faced  Prime  Minister  did  not 
deal  in  inferences  when — having  come  at  the  Re- 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  287 

gent's  summons,  from  his  office  in  the  Administra- 
tion wing  of  the  same  building — he  was  advised  of 
the  matter,  and  that  he  was  to  assume  charge  of 
the  government  during  her  absence. 

"  Has  Your  Royal  Highness  forgot  the  Cham- 
bers meet  this  day  week,  and  that  the  Regent  must 
open  them  in  person  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  had  forgot,"  said  she,  "  but  I  shall  return 
for  it." 

The  Count  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  question  the  Regent's 
movements,"  he  said ;  "  but  if  you  will  accept  the 
advice  of  one  who  was  your  father's  friend  and 
trusted  servant,  and  who  ventures  to  think  he  can, 
at  least  in  this  instance,  speak  with  his  dear,  dead 
master's  voice,  you  will  abandon  this  astonishing 
intention,  that  can  profit  nothing  to  His  Highness' 
cause,  and  will  lead  him  only  into  dire  and  awful 
danger." 

"  Will  there  be  no  profit  in  recovering  the 
Book  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  You  will  not  recover  it  in  Lotzenia." 

"  The  Duke  has  it ;  I  saw  it  last  night." 

The  Count  shook  his  head.  "  I  feel  sure  that 
Lotzen  has  n't  the  Book ;  but  if  you  are  positive, 
beyond  a  doubt,  then  formally  demand  it  as  Re- 
gent; if  he  refuse,  take  half  the  Army,  if  need 
be,  and  batter  down  his  Castle  and  get  it." 

The  Princess  laughed.     "  Now,  Count,  you  know 


288  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

very  well  that  would  be  the  one  sure  way  not  to 
get  it — he  would  destroy  it." 

"  And  himself  with  it,"  said  Epping ;  "  for  then 
your  testimony  would  be  enough  to  convict  him, 
and  lose  him  his  last  chance  for  election  by  the 
Nobles.  It  would  be  as  effective  as  to  find  the 
Book  itself." 

"  Your  plan  does  not  please  me  for  two  reasons," 
she  answered,  promptly  and  decisively.  "  It  con- 
templates the  destruction  of  the  Laws  of  the  Dai- 
bergs,  which  I  would  rather  die  than  be  the  cause 
of;  and  it  would  permit  the  House  of  Nobles  to 
determine  the  succession  to  the  Throne,  a  thing 
hitherto  unknown,  and  to  my  poor  mind  subversive 
of  the  rights  of  my  House.  What  we  want  is  the 
Book,  and  the  way  to  get  it  is  to  take  it  quietly 
and  by  stealth.  Hence,  I  was  willing  that  His 
Highness  should  go  to  Lotzenia,  and  I  with  him, 
to  see  what  might  be  done." 

"  In  other  words,"  said  the  Count  incisively, 
"  you  deliberately  stake  the  Archduke  Armand's 
life  for  the  preservation  of  the  Book." 

The  Princess  gasped,  and  her  face  went  white. 

"  Don't  say  it,  my  child ! "  the  old  man  ex- 
claimed, "  don't  say  it ! — think  a  moment  first — 
and  then  forgive  me  for  having  let  my  affection 
for  you  drive  my  tongue  too  far." 

And  instantly  her  anger  passed ;  and  she  went 
to  him  and  laid  her  hand  on  his,  where  it  rested 


ON  TO  LOTZENIA  289 

on    his    sword    hilt — while    the    Archduke    spoke 
quickly. 

"  Your  Excellency  does  not  quite  appreciate 
that  the  Regent  is  dealing  with  a  very  unruly  sub- 
ject, and  one  who  will  not  countenance  the  assault 
on  Lotzen  Castle.  Neither  Her  Highness  nor  my- 
self  could  stand  before  the  Nobles  and  affirm  on 
honor  and  unreservedly  that  the  Duke  has  the 
Book,  though  we  think  we  identified  it.  But  more 
vital  still  is  the  fact  that  I  will  not  consent  to 
any  measures  which  would  drive  the  Duke  to  de- 
stroy the  Book.  I  am  determined  to  establish  my 
right  to  the  Throne  by  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs, 
and  not  to  owe  it  to  the  vote  of  any  man  nor  set 
of  men.  Frankly,  my  lord,  I  care  so  lightly  for  it, 
that,  but  for  this  little  woman  here,  and  to  make 
her  the  Queen  which  by  birth  she  ought  to  be,  I 
would  not  lift  a  finger  nor  move  tongue  to  gain 
the  Crown.  And  if  we  are  to  have  it — she  and  I 
— it  must  be  with  all  its  ancient  rights  and  author- 
ity, unsmirched  and  unimpaired  by  the  politics  and 
obligations  of  an  election. 

The  old  Count  raised  his  thin,  white  hand — his 
lean  face  flushed,  the  fine  fire  of  a  hotspur  youth 
glowing  in  his  eyes. 

"  Go,  Sire ! "  he  said,  "  go ;  and  win  your  crown 
as  a  Dalberg  should — and  would    I    were  young 
enough  to  go  with  you — as  it  is,  I  will  hold  things 
stanch  for  you  here." 
19 


MADELINE  SPENCER,  lying  in  a  languorous  coil 
among  the  cushions  in  the  deep  embrasure  of  an 
east  window,  was  gazing  in  dreamy  abstraction 
across  the  valley  to  the  mountain  spur,  five  miles 
away  as  the  bird  flies,  ten  as  the  road  runs,  where, 
silhouetted  against  the  blue  of  the  cloudless  sky, 
rose  the  huge,  gray  Castle  of  Dalberg. 

For  the  last  hour,  she  had  been  training  a  field 
glass  on  it  at  short  intervals,  and  presently  she 
levelled  it  again,  and  this  time  she  saw  what  she 
was  waiting  for — from  the  highest  tower  of  the 
keep  the  royal  standard  of  Valeria  was  floating. 

For  a  little  while  she  watched  the  Golden  Lion 
couchant  on  its  crimson  field — lashing  its  tail  in 
anger  with  every  undulation  of  the  fresh  west 
wind,  as  though  impatient  to  spring  into  the  valley 
and  ravage  and  harass  it,  much  as  the  fierce  first 
Dalberg  himself  had  doubtless  done — then  she 
slowly  uncoiled  herself,  and  gliding  from  the  ledge 
swished  lightly  across  to  the  far  door,  that  led  into 
the  Duke  of  Lotzen's  library. 

"  Ferdinand,"    she   said,    "  they   have "     he 

was  not  there,  though  she  had  heard  him  a  moment 
ago  singing  softly,  as  was  his  wont  when  in  par- 
ticularly good  spirits. 
290 


LA  DUCHESSE  291 

She  went  to  his  desk  and  sat  down  to  wait,  her 
eyes  straying  indifferently  over  the  familiar  pa- 
pers that  covered  it,  until  they  chanced  upon  a 
slender  portfolio,  she  had  never  before  seen,  and 
which,  to  her  surprise,  contained  only  a  sheet  of 
blotting  paper,  about  a  foot  square,  folded  down 
the  center.  Curious,  she  opened  it,  to  find,  on  the 
inside,  the  stamp  of  the  royal  arms,  and  the  marks 
of  a  dozen  lines  of  heavy  writing,  most  of  it  clear 
and  distinct,  and  made,  seemingly,  by  two  impres- 
sions, one  at  each  end  of  the  sheet. 

What  was  it  doing  here? — and  why  so  carefully 
preserved? — She  looked  at  the  writing  more  at- 
tentively— and  suddenly  one  word  stood  out  plain, 
even  if  inverted,  and  under  it  a  date. 

Instantly  blotter  and  portfolio  were  replaced, 
and  she  hurried  to  her  boudoir  for  a  mirror.  Lay- 
ing it  face  upward  on  the  desk,  she  held  the  writing 
over  it.  A  single  glance  proved  her  surmise  true. 
Here  and  there  words  and  letters  were  missing  or 
were  very  indistinct,  but  there  could  be  no  doubt 
that  this  was  the  blotter  used  by  King  Frederick 
when  he  wrote  the  decree  the  night  before  his 
death.  Her  hasty  reading  had  found  nothing  to 
show  the  purport  of  the  Law — indeed,  it  seemed 
to  be  only  a  few  lines  of  the  beginning  and  of  the 
end,  including  the  signature  and  date — but  pos- 
sibly a  closer  inspection  would  reveal  more;  and 
so  she  was  about  to  copy  it  exactly,  when  she  heard 
the  Duke's  voice  in  the  adjoining  room  and  had 


292  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

time  only  to  hide  the  mirror  and  to  get  the  blotter 
to  its  place  until  he  came  in. 

His  cold  face  warmed,  as  it  always  did  for  her, 
and  as  it  never  had  done  for  another  woman,  and 
he  bowed  to  her  in  pleasant  mockery. 

"  Good  morning,  Duchess,"  he  said ;  "  what  are 
your  orders  for  the  d*y? — you  occupy  the  seat  of 
authority." 

She  got  up.  "  Having  no  right  to  the  title," 
she  said,  giving  him  her  most  winning  smile,  "  I 
vacate  the  seat — do  you  think  I  look  like  a 
duchess?  " 

"  Like  a  duchess ! "  he  exclaimed,  handing  her 
into  the  chair  and  leaning  over  the  back,  his  head 
close  to  hers,  "  like  a  duchess !  you  are  a  duchess 
in  everything  but  birth." 

"  And  title,"  she  added,  with  a  bit  of  a  shrug. 

He  stroked  her  soft  black  hair,  with  easy  fingers. 

"  The  title  will  be  yours  when  Ferdinand  of 
Lotzen  reigns  in  Dornlitz,"  he  said. 

She  bent  back  her  head  and  smiled  into  his  eyes. 
It  was  the  first  time  he  had  held  out  any  promise 
as  to  her  place  in  event  of  his  becoming  king, 
though  she  had  tried  repeatedly  to  draw  him  to 
it. 

"  Would  you  do  that,  dear?  "  she  asked,  "  do 
you  really  care  enough  for  me  to  do  that — to  ac- 
knowledge me  so  before  the  world  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Madeline,  I  think  I  do,"  he  said,  after 
a  pause,  that  seemed  to  her  perilously  long.  "  It 


LA  DUCHESSE  293 

appears  rather  retributive  that  you,  who  came  here, 
at  my  instance,  to  play  the  wife  for  the  American, 
should  thus  have  been  put,  by  my  own  act,  into 
a  position  where  our  friendship  must  be  maintained 
sub  rosa.  You  are  quite  too  clear  headed  not  to 
appreciate  that  now,  at  least,  I  may  not  openly 
parade  our  relations;  to  do  so  would  be  to  end 
whatever  chance  I  have  with  the  Nobles.  But 
once  on  the  Throne  and  the  power  firm  in  my  hand, 
and  they  all  may  go  to  the  devil,  and  a  duchess 
shall  you  be — if," — pinching  her  cheek — "  you 
will  promise  to  stay  away  from  Paris  and  the  Rue 
Royale,  except  when  I  am  with  you." 

She  wound  her  lithe  arms  around  his  neck,  and 
drew  his  face  close  to  hers. 

"  I  promise,"  she  said  presently,  "  I  promise. 
But  what  if  you  should  miss  the 
Crown? — you  could  not  make  me  duchess  then." 

"  Why  not,  ma  belle?  "  he  asked,  holding  her 
arms  close  around  his  neck.  "  I  shall  still  be  a 
Duke,  and  you — la  Diichesse  de  la  main  gauche." 

She  could  not  suppress  the  start — though  she 
had  played  for  just  such  an  answer,  yet  never 
thinking  it  would  come — and  Lotzen  felt  it,  and 
understood. 

"  Did  that  surprise  you,  little  one  ?  "  he  laughed. 
"  Well,  don't  forget,  if  I  miss  the  Throne,  and 
live,  I  shan't  be  urged  to  stay  in  Valeria — in  fact, 
whatever  urging  there  is,  will  likely  be  the  other 
way." 


294.  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"Banished?"  she  asked. 

He  nodded.     "  Practically  that." 

"  Paris  ?  " — with  a  sly  smile  upward. 

He  filched  a  kiss.  "  Anywhere  you  like,  my 
dear;  but  no  one  place  too  long." 

She  was  thinking  rapidly — "  duchess  of  the  left 
hand  " ; — never  his  duchess  in  name — never  any- 
thing but  a  morganatic  wife  to  whom  no  title 
passed;  but  what  mattered  the  title,  if  she  got 
the  settlements,  and  all  the  rest.  And  Ferdinand 
was  easy  enough  to  manage  now,  and  would  be, 
so  long  as  the  infatuation  held  him;  afterward — 
at  least  the  settlements  and  the  jewels  would 
remain. 

Truly  she  had  won  far  more  than  she  had  sought 
or  even  dreamed  of — and  won  it,  whether  Lotzen 
got  the  Crown  or  exile.  The  only  risk  she  ran 
was  his  dying,  and  it  must  be  for  her  to  keep  him 
out  of  danger — away  from  the  Archduke  and  his 
friends,  where,  she  knew,  death  was  in  leash,  strain- 
ing to  be  free  and  at  him.  Hitherto  she  had 
thought  her  only  sure  reward  lay  in  Ferdinand 
as  king;  in  his  generosity  for  a  little  while;  and 
so  she  had  been  very  willing  to  stake  him  for  suc- 
cess. Now  she  must  reverse  her  method — no  more 
spurring  him  to  seek  out  the  Archduke  and  dare 
all  on  a  single  fight;  instead,  prudence,  discretion, 
let  others  do  the  open  work  and  face  the  hazards. 

She  gave  a  satisfied  little  sigh  and  drew  him 
close. 


LA  DUCHESSE  295 

"  May  be  you  doubt  it,  dear,"  she  said,  "  but 
I  can  be  very  docile  and  contented — and  I  shall 
prove  it,  whether  as  duchess  of  the  right  hand  or 
the  left." 

He  laughed,  and  shook  his  head. 

"  You,  docile  and  contented !  never  in  this  world ; 
nor  do  I  want  you  so — I  prefer  you  as  you  are; 
you  may  lose  me,  if  you  change." 

"  Then  I  '11  not  change,  dear,"  she  whispered, 
and  kissed  him  lightly  and  arose. 

He  reached  out  quickly  to  draw  her  back,  but 
she  eluded  him. 

"  Nay,  nay,  my  lord,"  she  smiled ;  "  I  must  not 
change,  you  said." 

"  Don't  go  away,"  he  insisted ;  "  stay  with  me 
a  little  longer." 

She  sat  down  across  the   desk  from  him. 

"  I  almost  forgot  what  I  came  for,"  she  said. 
"  Do  you  know  they  have  come  ? — the  flag  went  up 
a  little  while  ago." 

He  nodded.  "  Yes,  I  know — a  whole  train  load 
and  half  the  Household: — the  Regent,  the  Amer- 
ican, Moore,  Bernheim,  De  Coursey,  Marsov,  the 
scheming  Courtney,  damn  him,  and  a  lot  of  women, 
including,  of  course,  the  Radnor  girl.  For  a 
pursuit  with  deadly  intent,  it 's  the  most  amazing 
in  the  annals  of  war.  Under  all  the  rules,  the 
American  and  a  few  tried  swords  should  have 
stolen  into  Dalberg  Castle,  with  every  precaution 
against  our  knowing  they  had  come;  instead,  they 


296  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

arrive  with  the  ostentation  of  a  royal  progress,  and 
fling  out  the  Golden  Lion  from  the  highest  tower." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  first?  "  she  asked. 

"  Nothing — it 's  their  move.  They  have  come 
for  the  Book,  and  they  must  seek  it  here." 

She  was  idly  snapping  the  scissors  through  a 
sheet  of  paper  and  simply  smiled  her  answer. 

"  Give  me  a  cigarette,  dear,"  she  said,  after  a 
pause,  "  I  've  left  mine  in  my  room." 

He  searched  his  pockets  for  his  case;  then  tum- 
bled the  papers  on  the  desk,  she  aiding  and  very 
careful  to  leave  exposed  the  portfolio  that  con- 
tained the  blotter. 

"  Oh,  there  it  is,"  she  exclaimed,  "  on  the  table, 
yonder;"  and  when  he  went  for  it  she  drew  out 
the  blotter  and  feigned  to  be  examining  it. 

"  Here,  little  one,"  he  said,  tossing  her  the 
case — then  he  saw  what  she  had,  and  for  the 
shadow  of  an  instant,  which  she  detected,  he  hesi- 
tated— '*  fix  one  for  me,"  he  ended,  and  sat  down, 
seemingly  in  entire  unconcern. 

"  Bring  me  a  match,"  she  ordered,  eyes  still  on 
the  blotter,  as  she  opened  the  case  and  took  out  a 

cigarette "  There,  I  spoil  you."  She 

laid  down  the  sheet  and  lit  another  Nestor  for  her- 
self. "  Ferdinand,"  said  she,  turning  half  around 
in  her  chair  and  looking  up  at  him,  "  just  where  is 
this  wonderful  Book  of  Laws  ?  " 

"  Here,  in  this  drawer,"  opening  one  beside  her, 
showing  the  same  package  wrapped  in  black  cloth 


LA  DUCHESSE  297 

that  Armand  and  Dehra  had  seen  in  Ferida  Palace. 

"  I  don't  mean  that  one,"  said  she.  "  I  mean 
the  real  Book." 

He  sent  a  cloud  of  smoke  between  them. 

"  I  wish  I  knew,"  he  said ;  "  but  the  American 
won't  tell  me." 

She  scattered  the  smoke  with  a  wave  of  her 
handkerchief. 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  he  could  tell  you?  "  she 
asked. — "  In  fact,  my  dear  boy,  do  you  need  to 
be  told?" 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  puzzled  frown;  and 
for  answer  she  tapped  the  open  blotter,  and 
smiled. 

"  Even  though  inverted,  a  few  words  are  very 

plain: — a  King's  name  and  a  date 

And  the  King  died  the  next  day." 

"  And  what  is  your  inference  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It 's  rather  more  than  an  inference,  is  n't  it  ?  " 
she  laughed ;  "  I  should  call  it  a  sequitur : — that 
he  who  has  the  Book's  blotter,  has  the  Book." 

She  had  expected  either  cool  ridicule  or  angry 
denial;  instead,  he  laughed,  too,  and  coming 
around  to  her,  gave  her  an  admiring  little  caress. 

"  You  're  quite  too  clever,  Madeline,"  he  said ; 
"  it  is  a  sequitur,  but  unfortunately  it 's  not  the 
fact — now.  I  have  n't  the  Book ;  I  did  have  it, 
and  I  know  where  it  is,  but  I  can't  get  it." 

"  You  had  it — and  let  it  get  away  ? "  she 
marveled. 


298  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

«  yes." 

"And  know  where  it  is,  and  yet  can't  get  it?" 

"  Yes,  again." 

"  Surely !  surely !  it  can't  be  that  I  am  listening 
to  the  Duke  of  Lotzen!  ....  But,  of 
course,  you  know  what  the  decree  is." 

And  now  he  lied,  and  so  easily  and  promptly 
that  even  she  did  not  suspect. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  I  don't ;  I  lost  the  Book  before 
I  had  a  chance  to  open  it.  All  I  know  is  what 
that  blotter  tells.  Damn  it,  why  could  n't  it  have 
had  the  middle  of  the  decree  instead  of  both  ends !  " 
and  in  marvellously  assumed  indignation  he  seized 
the  soft  sheet,  and  tore  it  into  tiny  bits.  He  had 
no  mind  that  even  she  should  have  the  chance  to 
copy  it,  and  delve  into  all  that  the  words  and 
blurred  lines  might  imply. 

"  May  I  know  where  the  Book  is,  dear?  "  she 
said,  after  a  pause ;  "  may  be  I  could  help  you." 

An  hour  ago  he  would  have  balked  at  this  ques- 
tion; but  now  her  interests  had  become  so  bound 
up  with  his  that  he  could  trust  her. 

"  Know,  little  one  ?  of  course  you  may  know," 
he  said  instantly ;  "  I  shall  be  glad  for  a  confidant. 
The  Book  is  exactly  where  it  belongs: — in  the 
box,  and  it  is  in  the  vault  of  the  King's  library 
at  the  Summer  Palace." 

She  laughed  merrily. 

"  Ferdinand,  dear  Ferdinand !  "  she  cried,  "  I  'm 
ashamed  of  you — to  tell  me  such  a  clumsy  lie." 


LA  DUCHESSE  299 

"  It  is  n't  a  lie — that 's  the  pity." 

"  Then  why  all  this  bother  as  to  the  Succession, 
and  search  for  the  Book? "  she  asked  incredu- 
lously. 

"  Because,  my  dear,  I  'm  the  only  one  who  knows 
it 's  there — listen,  and  I  '11  tell  you  how  it  hap- 
pened." 

At  last!  at  last!  she  was  to  know — and  she 
nestled  close  to  him  and  waited.  Truly,  this  was 
her  day.  And  he  told  all,  not  even  omitting  the 
killing  of  the  valet. 

Her  first  question  was  typical  of  her  mind,  it 
went  straight  to  the  crux  of  the  whole  matter. 

"  But  why  can't  you  get  the  Book?  "  she  asked. 

"  Because  I  can't  get  at  it.  The  infernal  Amer- 
ican has  put  a  cordon  of  troops  around  the  Palace, 
so  that  it 's  impossible  to  pass  at  night  without 
declaring  myself;  Moore  occupies  the  library;  and 
finally  the  combination  on  the  vault  has  been 
changed." 

"Isn't  it  absurd?"  said  she;  "the  Book  actu- 
ally in  its  place  and  yet  lost." — She  sat  up  sharply. 
"  Do  you  really  want  it,  Ferdinand? — because,  if 
you  do,  may  be  I  can  help  you." 

"  Assuredly  I  want  it.  If  the  decree  is  against 
me,  we  will  destroy  the  Book  and  go  on  with  our 
game." 

"  Then,  dear,  let  us  go  after  it — and  now,  now! 
The  Regent  is  absent,  hence  less  vigilance  in  the 
Palace;  Moore  is  with  her,  hence  the  library  is 


300  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

deserted;  it  should  be  easy  for  you  to  get  us  in 
it  by  day  and  unsuspected." 

"  And  having  blown  open  the  vault,  be  caught 
in  the  act,"  he  smiled. 

"  That  is  where  I  come  in,  dear ;  I  will  engage 
to  open  it,  noiselessly,  and  in  less  than  fifteen  min- 
utes, too." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  one  of  those  wonder 
workers  who  can  feel  a  combination?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  though  I  Ve  not  tried  it  for 
years." 

"  Come,  come,  try  it  now ! "  indicating  a  small 
iron  safe  in  the  far  corner. 

She  went  to  it,  and  sinking  to  the  floor  with 
sinuous  grace,  she  put  her  ear  close  to  the  dial 
plate  and  fell  to  manipulating  the  knob  with  light 
fingers;  turning  it  back  and  forth  very  slowly  and 
with  extreme  care. 

And  the  Duke,  leaning  against  the  safe,  watched 
her  with  eager  eyes — could  she  do  it? — if  she 
could 

Mrs.   Spencer  sprang  up. 

"  That  was  easy,"   she  said. 

Lotzen  reached  over  and  seized  the  handle;  the 
bolts  snapped  back  and  the  door  swung  open. 

With  the  first  burst  of  impulse  she  had  ever 
seen  him  display,  he  whirled  and  caught  her  in 
his  arms. 

"  We  will  win  now,  my  duchess ! "  he  exclaimed, 
"  we  will  win  sure.  No  burglarious  entry — no 


SHE  FELL  TO  MANIPULATING  THE  KNOB  WITH  LIGHT  FINGEKS. 


LA  DUCHESSE  801 

explosion — no  flight;  instead,  the  Duke  of  Lotzen 
and  his  Aide  will  go  openly  to  the  library,  and 
then  in  a  trice  will  we  have  the  Book  and  be  gone. 
.  .  .  .  And  I  shall  owe  it  all  to  you,  dear — 
ma  cherie  duchesse." 

She  closed  her  eyes;  truly,  this  was  her  day! 

"  Let  us  go  to  Dornlitz  this  very  night,"  she 
said. 

He  shook  his  head.  "  We  must  wait  a  day,  lit- 
tle one;  until  our  friends  across  the  valley  have 
assured  themselves  that  I  am  here.  But  to-morrow 
night  we  will  steal  away  to  the  Capital,  and  get 
the  Book;  and  then,  if  necessary,  we  will  come 
back,  and  send  our  dear  cousin  to  the  devil  where 
he  belongs. 


XX 

THE   PRINCESS    TURNS   STRATEGIST 

THE  Archduke  put  up  his  field  glasses  and, 
turning  to  the  Princess,  waved  his  hand  toward 
the  open  country,  and  around  to  the  Castle  behind 
them. 

"  So,  dear,"  he  said,  "  this  is  home — the  Dalberg 
aerie  and  its  feeding  grounds.  I  like  them  well. 
And  particularly  do  I  like  the  way  the  nest  itself 
has  been  kept  up  to  the  time  in  comforts  and 
appointments." 

"  Do  be  serious,  Armand,"  she  protested ; 
"  have  n't  you  any  sentiment !  Look  at  the  won- 
derful blue  of  the  Voragian  mountains;  and  the 
shifting  shadows  on  the  foot-hills;  and  this  spur, 
and  Lotzen's  yonder,  trailing  out  from  them  like 
tendrils  of  a  vine;  and  the  emerald  valley,  streaked 
through  the  center  by  the  sparkling  Dreer;  and 
the  fair  lands  to  the  south,  as  far  as  eye  can  carry, 
and  yet  farther,  league  upon  league  to  the  sea — 
yours,  my  lord,  all  yours — the  heritage  of  your 
House — the  Kingdom  of  your  Fathers." 

"  You  have  forgot  the  loveliest  thing  in  all  the 
landscape,"  said  he,  "  the  one  thing  that  makes 
the  rest  worth  while." 

She  sprang  from  him.  "  No,  sir,  not  here  on 
302 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       303 

the  wall  in  view  of  the  bailey  and  every  window; 
confine  your  sentiment  at  present  to  the  inanimate 
portion  of  the  landscape." 

He  went  over  and  leaned  on  the  parapet  beside 
her. 

**  I  fear  I  have  quite  too  much  sentiment,"  he 
said ;  "  I  have  already  expended  far  more  than 
you  would  believe — on  the  Castle,  and  the  moun- 
tains, and  the  valley,  and  all  the  rest.  Now  I  'm 
done  with  it,  except  for  animate  objects;  the  busi- 
ness we  have  in  hand  promises  to  be  sufficiently 
occupying.  Yonder  is  the  Book;  and  how  to  get 
it,  and  quickly."  He  leveled  his  glasses  at  Lotzen 

Castle  and  studied  it  a  long  time "A 

pretty  hard  proposition,"  he  remarked.  "  Have 
you  ever  been  in  it?  " 

"Unfortunately,  no;  but  Major  Meux  has  been 
Constable  here  for  two  years,  and  surely  must  have 
been  there  often — yonder  he  is  now,  by  the  gate 
tower." 

The  Archduke  caught  Meux's  glance  and  mo- 
tioned for  him. 

"  Major,"  said  he,  "  can  you  give  us  an  idea 
of  the  plan  of  Lotzen  Castle  ?  " 

"  I  can  do  better  than  that,  Your  Highness,  I 
can  show  you  a  plan,  drawn  to  scale  and  most  com- 
plete. I  came  upon  it  in  the  library  only  last  week. 
It 's  more  than  a  hundred  years  old,  but  I  think 
it  is  still  in  effect  accurate." 

"I  wonder  how  it  happens  to  be  here?"  said 


304  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

the  Princess,  with  the  peculiar  curiosity  of  a  woman 
as  to  non-essentials. 

"  At  the  time  it  was  made  Lotzen  was  also  a 
Royal  Castle,"  the  Constable  explained ;  "  it  was 
very  natural  to  deposit  the  draft  here  with  the 
King's  own  records." 

As  they  crossed  the  main  hall,  they  chanced  upon 
Colonel  Moore,  and,  taking  him  with  them,  they 
went  into  the  library — a  great,  high-ceilinged 
room,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  keep,  the  walls 
hidden  by  massive,  black  oak  cases,  filled  with  books 
and  folios,  in  bindings  of  leather  stamped  with 
the  Dalberg  Lion — and  from  a  shelf  in  a  dark 
corner  the  Constable  brought  a  small  portfolio, 
made  to  resemble  a  book,  in  which  the  draft  was 
folded. 

"  This  is  admirable,"  the  Archduke  remarked, 
examining  it  with  the  trained  eye  and  instant  com- 
prehension of  the  engineer  officer ;  "  it  could  not 

be  done  better  now See,  Dehra,  it 

is  the  whole  fortification,  as  plain  as  though  we 
were  on  the  high  tower,  here — "  indicating  on  the 
draft. 

"  I  suppose  so,"  she  smiled ;  "  but  to  me  it 
looks  only  like  a  lot  of  black  lines,  flung  down  at 
random  and  with  varying  degrees  of  force;  sort 
of  an  embroidery  pattern,  you  know." 

Armand,  bending  over  the  sheet,  did  not  hear 
her. 

"What  did  you  make  out  of  this,  Major?"  he 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       305 

asked ;  "  there  seems  to  be  nothing  on  the  key  to 
explain  it — might  it  be  intended  to  indicate  a 
secret  passage  from  the  second  floor  of  the  keep 
to  the  postern  ?  " 

"  That  puzzled  me  also,"  said  Meux,  "  but  your 
explanation,  sir,  seems  very  likely. — Possibly  old 
Jessac  might  know  something;  he  has  been  here 
for  more  than  seventy  years,  as  a  boy,  and  upper 
servant,  and  steward,  and  now  as  sort  of  steward 
emeritus  and  general  reminiscer;  and  he  has  the 
legends  and  history  of  this  castle  at  his  tongue's 
end." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Princess,  "  if  anyone  know, 
it 's  Jessac,  and  I  think  he  served  for  a  time  in 
Lotzen  Castle — have  him  here,  Major,  if  you 
please." 

The  old  man  came,  tall,  slender,  shrivelled  of 
face,  white  and  thin  of  hair,  yet  erect  and  vigorous, 
despite  his  almost  four  and  a  half  score  years. 
They  raised  men,  and  kept  them  long,  in  the  ting- 
ling, snapping,  life-giving  air  of  the  Voragian 
mountains. 

"  Don't  kneel,  Jessac,"  the  Regent  exclaimed, 
giving  him  her  hand. 

He  bent  and  kissed  it  with  the  most  intense 
devotion. 

"  My  little  Princess !  my  little  Princess ! "  he 
repeated;  "God  is  good  to  have  let  old  Jessac  see 
you  once  more  before  he  dies."  Then  he  straight- 
ened, and,  turning  sharply  toward  the  Archduke, 

20 


306  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

scanned  him  with  an  intentness  almost  savage. 
Suddenly  his  hand  rose  in  salute.  "  Yes,  you  're 
a  man,  and  a  Dalberg,  too — the  finest  Dalberg 
these  old  eyes  ever  saw." 

And  Armand  understood,  and  went  to  him,  and 
took  his  hand,  and  held  it. 

"  Every  one  loves  her,  Jessac,"  he  said,  "  but 
none  quite  as  you  and  I."  Then  he  drew  him  over 
to  the  table.  "  Do  you  know  the  interior  of  Lotzen 
Castle?"  he  asked. 

"  As  I  know  this  one,  my  lord — I  lived  in  it  for 
twenty  years  in  my  young  days;  even  now  I  could 
go  blindfolded  from  gate  to  highest  turret." 

"  Is  this  plan  accurate  now?  See,  here  is  the 
gateway,  and  this  is  the  keep." 

"  I  understand,  sir." — He  studied  it  for  a  little 
while,  following  the  lines  with  his  finger,  and  mut- 
tering brokenly  to  himself,  under  his  breath. 
"  Yes,  Your  Highness,  it 's  about  the  same,  except 
that  here  is  an  outer  building  for  servants,  and 
here  a  storehouse;  and  the  arrangement  of  the 
rooms  in  the  main  part  is  some  different,  particu- 
larly on  the  second  floor,  where  several  have  been 
made  out  of  one;  but  the  stairway  and  hall  are 
still  as  they  always  were.  Indeed,  sir,  there  has 
been  small  change  or  improvement  since  long  be- 
fore the  present  lord's  father  died.  Duke  Ferdi- 
nand had  never  visited  it  for  more  than  a  score 
of  years,  until  a  few  weeks  ago,  just  a  little  while 
before  our  gracious  master  was  called " 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       307 

The  old  man  was  garrulous ;  so  far,  age  had  not 
missed  him;  and  here  the  Archduke  interrupted. 

"  Jessac,"  he  said  kindly,  "  you  have  made  all 
that  very  clear;  now  can  you  tell  us  if  there  is 
any  secret  passage  in  the  castle?  " 

"  One,  sir,"  was  the  prompt  answer ;  "  leastwise, 
I  know  one,  there  may  be  others." 

"And  it?" 

"  From  the  library  to  the  postern  gate,  near 
the  west  tower — this  is  it,  sir,"  indicating  the 
line  on  the  plan ;  "  many  is  the  time  I  've  used  it, 
his  lordship  being  absent,  when  I  wanted  to  get 
out  at  night;  indeed,  sir,  there  is  a  key  to  the 
postern  still  here,  as  well  as  duplicates  to  almost 
every  door.  They  were  not  surrendered  when 
King  Henry  gave  the  place  to  the  late  Duke — 
all  the  locks  had  been  changed  shortly  before  that. 
Would  Your  Highness  care  to  see  the  keys? — they 
are  in  the  armory." 

"  Bring  them  here,"  said  the  Constable  quickly. 
.  .  .  .  "  I  know  by  experience,  sir,  that  if 
Jessac  get  you  into  the  armory,  you  won't  escape 
for  hours ;  he  has  a  story  for  every  piece  in  it,  and 
wants  to  tell  them  all." 

The  old  man  came  back,  a  dozen  large  keys 
jangling;  and  laid  them  on  the  table. 

"  This  is  to  the  postern,"  he  said ;  "  it 's  smaller 
than  the  others,  so  it  could  be  carried  more  easily, 
you  know,  sir — these  brass  tags,  sir,  show  where 
they  belong." 


308  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

The  Archduke  looked  them  over. 

"  I  don't  see  the  key  from  the  library  to  the 
secret  passage,"  he  said. 

"  There  is  none,  sir ;  the  big  stone  in  the  middle 
of  the  side  wall  of  the  library,  and  the  one  on  the 
right  just  inside  the  postern  arch,  revolve  when 
pushed  at  the  upper  edge — this  way,  Your  High- 
ness," and  he  demonstrated,  using  a  book  as  the 
stone. 

"  Thank  you,  Jessac,"  said  Armand,  with  a 
smile  and  a  nod  of  dismissal ;  "  we  may  want  you 
again  to-morrow.  I  '11  keep  the  keys,"  and  he 
swept  them  into  a  drawer  of  the  desk. 

Then  the  Constable  withdrew,  and  for  a  while 
Armand  and  Moore  studied  the  plan,  and  went  over 
the  problem  confronting  them;  and  which,  though 
greatly  simplified  now,  was  still  difficult  and  deli- 
cate beyond  anything  either  had  ever  been  obliged 
to  solve.  Perilous  it  was,  too — but  that  neither 
regarded  for  himself;  and  Moore  would  gladly 
have  assumed  it  alone  could  he  have  insured  thereby 
the  Archduke's  safety. 

Through  it  all  the  Princess  watched  them,  hark- 
ening  carefully  to  what  was  said,  and  saying  a  few 
things  herself,  mainly  in  the  shape  of  questions 
which  showed  that,  even  if  to  her  the  draft  did 
resemble  an  embroidery  pattern,  she  was  astonish- 
ingly apt  at  following  the  discussion.  But  when 
Armand  remarked  that  he  would  make  the  attempt 
that  very  night,  she  interposed  promptly. 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       309 

"  Wait  until  to-morrow,"  she  urged ;  "  take  at 
least  one  night's  rest;  you  need  it;  and  the  extra 
day  may  disclose  something  as  to  the  situation  in 
Lotzen  Castle." 

"  To-night  is  the  proper  time,"  said  the  Arch- 
duke ;  "  we  may  not  be  expected  then ;  we  shall  be 
most  assuredly  to-morrow ;  it 's  our  one  chance  for 
a  surprise." 

"  And  with  our  dear  cousin  that  chance  is  no 
chance,  as  you  are  very  well  aware,"  said  she ;  "  he 
knows  you  are  here,  and  why  you  are  here,  and  he 
is  ready  for  you  this  instant.  No,  no,  dear,  it 's 
simply  your  natural  impetuosity,  which  I  came 
along  to  moderate;  and  here  is  my  first  veto:  not 
to-night."  She  put  her  hand  on  his  arm.  "  Please, 
Armand,  please;  don't  you  understand — I  want 
to  be  sure  of  you  a  little  longer;  the  day  you  enter 
Lotzen  Castle  may  be  our  last." 

Moore  turned  quickly  away — and  the  Archduke 
looked  once  into  the  soft  eyes,  and  at  the  adorable 
smile;  and  the  eyes  and  the  smile  conquered,  as 
eyes  and  smile  always  will  when  the  one  woman 
uses  them,  as  the  one  woman  always  can,  if  she  try. 

"  I  ought  not  to  let  you  persuade  me,"  he  said, 
with  a  half  serious  shake  of  his  hand,  "  but — 
you  're  pretty  hard  to  resist.  At  least,  you  won't 
prohibit  my  riding  over  toward  the  Castle,  and 
having  a  look  at  it  now,  in  broad  day,  if  I  promise 
not  to  venture  inside  nor  very  near." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  should  like  to  go  with  you ; 


310  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

come,  we  will  all  go — you  tell  the  Ambassador, 
and  I  '11  get  Helen  and  Elise,"  with  a  nod  and  a 
smile  at  Moore. 

"  A  reconnaissance  in  force ! "  the  Archduke 
laughed,  when  the  Regent  had  gone;  then  he  or- 
dered the  horses,  and  he  and  Moore  went  off  to 
get  into  riding  uniform. 

A  wide,  macadamized  avenue  wound  sharply 
down  from  the  castle  to  the  valley,  where  the  roads 
were  of  the  soil,  soft  and  sandy.  Once  there,  the 
six  loosed  bridle  and  sped  away  across  the  level 
country ;  nor  drew  rein  but  thrice  until  they  came 
to  the  forks,  where  the  road  to  Lotzen  took  off 
for  its  mile  of  tortuous  ascent. 

Here  they  halted,  and  Armand  and  Moore 
scanned  through  their  glasses  the  Castle  and  its 
approach;  and  by  riding  a  very  little  way  up 
toward  it,  they  were  able  to  see  the  postern  gate, 
which  was  on  the  edge  of  the  hill  about  a  third  of 
the  distance  around  from  the  bridge,  and  was  ap- 
proached by  a  narrow,  rain-washed,  boulder-strewn 
path,  leading  almost  straight  up  the  side  of  the 
acclivity.  The  moat  ran  only  across  the  front,  the 
almost  sheer  descent  on  the  other  sides  of  the  wall 
having  been  deemed,  even  in  the  old  days,  quite 
sufficient  protection  against  assault. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Archduke,  as  he  shoved  the 
glasses  back  into  their  case,  "  thank  God,  we  have 
old  Jessac  to  tell  us  how  to  find  that  postern  path 
— and,  Colonel,  before  we  start,  it  might  be  wise 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       311 

for  each  of  us  to  make  his  will,  and  to  say  good-bye 
to  his  lady,  for,  of  a  truth,  it  is  going  to  be  a 
rather  serious  business." 

They  rode  back  by  way  of  Porgia,  the  garrison 
town,  five  miles  down  the  valley.  It  was  also  the 
railway  station  for  both  Castles,  though  some 
years  before,  King  Frederick  had  run  a  track  over 
as  close  as  possible  to  Dalberg,  so  his  own  train 
could  always  be  at  hand  to  hurry  him  away.  And 
there  it  had  brought  the  Regent  that  morning, 
and  was  now  waiting,  ready  for  instant  use. 

A  regiment  of  Uhlans  were  at  drill  on  the  edge 
of  the  town,  and  the  Princess  waved  her  cocked 
hat  to  them  as  she  cantered  by.  The  Colonel  in 
command  answered  with  his  saber,  while  from  two 
thousand  lusty  throats  went  up  a  wild  cheer  of 
passionate  devotion. 

Armand  reached  over  and  patted  her  on  the 
arm. 

"  Surely,  dear,  the  soldiers  love  you,"  he  said. 

"  They  seem  to," — then  out  flashed  the  smile 
again ;  "  but  there  is  only  one  I  'm  sure  of,"  lean- 
ing over  close. 

"  You  little  temptress !  "  he  said,  "  I  've  a  great 
mind  to  prove  it  now." 

She  laughed  merrily.  "  You  may — but  catch 
me  first ;"  and  as  her  horse  had  the  heels  of  his, 
she  never  let  him  get  quite  on  even  terms,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  pace. 


312  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Come,  dear,"  he  said,  "  I  '11  promise  to  wait 
until  we  are  at  the  Castle." 

"  As  you  wish — but  the  bend  in  the  road  yonder 
would  have  hid  the  others,  and  there  I  was — but 
until  the  Castle,  then." 

And  when  Armand  promised  double  punishment 
later,  she  tossed  her  head,  and  told  him  she  was 
always  ready  to  pay  for  her  crimes — and  some- 
times rather  willing. 

As  they  turned  from  the  valley  road  into  the 
avenue,  they  came  face  to  face  with  the  Duke  of 
Lotzen  and  Count  Bigler,  both  in  full  uniform. 

The  Princess  was  passing  on,  with  a  curt  return 
of  their  salutes,  when  the  Duke  drew  around  in 
front  of  her. 

"  Your  Royal  Highness  and  myself  seem  to  be 
unfortunate  in  our  visits  to  each  other,"  he  said; 
"  I  missed  yours  the  other  evening,  and  now  you 
have  missed  mine." 

"  You  have  been  to  Dalberg  Castle  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  bowed.  "  For  my  call  of  ceremony  upon 
the  Regent." 

She  reined  aside.  "  You  are  not  on  the  Re- 
gent's list,  sir,"  she  said ;  "  if  you  wish  to  save 
your  dignity,  you  would  best  not  present  yourself 
until  summoned." 

"  I  assumed  it  was  restored  by  your  own  infor- 
mal visit,"  he  smiled. — "  Will  you  not  honor 
Lotzen  Castle,  also? — and  you,  too,  cousin  Ar- 
mand ! " 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       313 

But  neither  answered  him  by  so  much  as  a  look, 
and  with  a  mocking  laugh  he  went  on,  saluting  the 
American  Ambassador  with  easy  formality,  and 
bestowing  upon  Mile.  d'Essolde  a  leeringly  sug- 
gestive smile,  that  made  Moore  frantic  to  strike 
him  in  the  face. 

The  Princess*  toilet  was  finished  very  early  that 
evening,  and  then  she  sent  for  her  Adjutant. 

"  Colonel  Moore,"  said  she,  motioning  him  to 
be  seated,  "  I  am  resolved  that  the  Archduke  shall 
not  venture  into  Lotzen  Castle  to-morrow  night, 
and  therefore,  I  am  going  myself  to-night;  will 
you  go  with  me?  " 

Moore's  amazement  deprived  him  of  an  imme- 
diate answer. 

"  But,  Your  Highness ! — "  he  stammered. 

"It  is  quite  useless  to  protest ;  I  'm  going ;  if 
you  do  not  care  to  escort  me.  I  shall  get 
Bernheim." 

"  Let  me   go  alone,"  he  urged. 

"  No." 

"  And  the  Archduke,  what  of  him  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  Archduke  stays  here,  serenely  ignorant 
of  it  all." 

"  He  will  never  forgive  me " 

She  cut  him  short.  "  Very  well,  monsieur,  you 
are  excused — be  so  good  as  to  send  Colonel  Bern- 
heim to  me  at  once — and  I  trust  to  your  honor 
not  to  mention  the  affair  to  any  one." 

He  had  done  all  he  dared;  more,  indeed,  than 


314  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

he  had  fancied  she  would  tolerate.  A  subordinate 
may  not  argue  for  long  with  the  Regent  of  a  King- 
dom, however  sweet-tempered  she  may  be. 

"  Your  Highness  misunderstands,"  he  said ;  "  if 
you  are  determined  to  go,  there  is  an  end  of  the 
matter;  naturally,  your  Adjutant  goes  also." 

She  smiled.  "  Now,  that  is  better — and  I  'm 
glad — and  we  will  take  De  Coursey  and  Marsov, 
and  slip  away  at  midnight,  with  old  Jessac  for 
guide.  The  secret  passage  opens  into  the  Duke's 
library,  we  get  the  Book  and  retire." 

"Vault   and  all?"  Moore  asked. 

"  You  don't  remember  the  draft,  Colonel,  there 
is  n't  a  vault." 

"  Doubtless,  however,  there  is  a  safe." 

She  waved  her  hand  impatiently.  "  It  will  be 
time  enough  for  that  when  we  get  there." 

"  And  if  we  can't  find  the  Book  in  the  library  ?  " 
he  persisted. 

"  Then  we  will  seek  it  elsewhere — it 's  just  that 
contingency  which  sends  me.  If  I  were  sure  it  is 
in  the  library,  I  might  let  the  Archduke  go." 

"  Yet  will  you  not  take  some  precaution  for  your 
own  safety,  in  event  of  Lotzen  overcoming  us  ?  " 
Moore  asked. 

"  I  can't  bring  myself  to  believe  that  he  would 
venture  to  harm  the  Regent,  but,  if  he  should, 
these,"  pushing  two  papers  across  to  him,  "  ought 
to  be  sufficient." 

"  Your    Highness    is    a    strategist,"    said    the 


THE  PRINCESS,  STRATEGIST       315 

Colonel,  when  he  had  read  them.  "  I  have  nothing 
to  suggest ;  and  I  'm  ready  now  to  go  with  a  more 
willing  spirit  and  a  lighter  heart." 

She  held  out  her  hand,  and  flashed  him  the  smile, 
usually  reserved  for  Armand,  alone. 

"  And  we  will  save  the  King,  Ralph — you  and 
I;  and  give  him  the  Book,  and  speed  him  to  his 
crowning.  I  leave  the  details  to  you,  to  see  the 
others,  and  instruct  and  caution  them;  remember, 
for  the  Archduke  to  get  the  slightest  suspicion 
would  ruin  everything.  It  will  be  for  me  to  see 
that  he  retires  early  to-night.  Now,  do  you,  your- 
self, seek  out  Bernheim  and  send  him  to  me 
quickly." 

"  My  good  friend,"  said  she,  acknowledging 
Bernheim's  stiff  military  salute  with  one  equally 
formal,  "  I  need  your  aid  in  a  matter  of  peculiar 
importance  and  delicacy — and  which  must  not, 
under  any  circumstance,  be  known  to  any  one  in 
the  Castle,  and  above  all  not  to  His  Highness  the 
Archduke — not  a  whisper  of  it,  Colonel  Bernheim." 

Bernheim's  answer  was  another  salute,  but  he 
could  say  as  much  with  it,  in  an  instant,  as  some 
men  in  an  hour  of  talk. 

"  Here  are  two  sealed  orders,"  she  continued ; 
"  immediately  after  dinner  you  will  ride  down  to 
Porgia;  there,  not  before,  you  will  open  the  one 
addressed  to  yourself,  and  deliver  the  other  to  the 
Commanding  Officer  of  the  garrison.  For  the  rest, 
the  orders  will  speak  for  themselves." 


316  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Once  more,  the  martinet's  hand  went  up. 

"  Yes,  Your  Highness,"  he  said ;  "  but  how  am 
I  to  go  without  getting  leave  from  the  Arch- 
duke?" 

"  I  will  get  it  for  you — you  need  not  say  any- 
thing to  him — just  go Ah!  there  he  is  now — 

Armand,"  said  she,  when  he  had  greeted  her,  "  I 
want  to  borrow  Colonel  Bernheim  for  a  little  while 
after  dinner,  may  I  have  him  ?  " 

"  Take  him,"  said  the  Archduke,  with  a  smile 
at  his  Aide ;  and  when  Bernheim  had  gone :  "  but 
why  don't  you  borrow  me  instead?  " 

"  Because,  sweetheart,  one  does  n't  need  to  bor- 
row what  one  has,"  she  answered,  and  gave  him 
both  her  hands. 


XXI 

IN    THE    DUKE'S    LIBRARY 

THE  Princess  managed  so  well  that  by  a  little 
after  eleven  o'clock  the  card  games  were  over,  and 
she,  laughingly,  had  escorted  Armand  to  his  own 
door  and  received  his  promise  to  retire  at  once. 

Then  she  went  to  her  apartment  and  dismissed 
all  the  attendants  except  her  maid.  To-night  she 
must  ride  as  a  man,  so  she  donned  a  close-fitting 
divided  skirt,  high  boots,  and  her  Blue  Guard's 
jacket,  and  topped  it  with  a  long  military  over- 
coat that  came  almost  to  her  spurs. 

Colonel  Moore  met  her  at  a  side  entrance,  and 
they  hurried  across  the  courtyard  and  over  the 
bridge  to  where,  a  little  way  down  the  avenue, 
were  waiting  De  Coursey  and  Marsov,  with  Jessac 
and  the  horses.  They  had  thought  to  send  the 
old  man  in  a  carriage,  but  he  would  have  none  of 
it;  so  they  let  him  have  his  way,  when  he  assured 
them  he  could  ride  twice  the  distance  without 
fatigue — and  he  proved  it  that  night. 

In  calm  persistence  of  purpose  Dehra  was  a 
typical  Dalberg;  she  had  determined  that  the 
Archduke  should  not  expose  his  life  in  Lotzen's 
castle,  and  so  she  was  assuming  the  risk,  without 
the  least  hesitation;  just  as  the  same  Dalberg  spirit 

317 


318  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

sent  the  Archduke  to  recover  the  Book,  heedless  of 
the  peril  entailed.  And  so  now,  after  a  word  of 
inquiry  as  to  the  general  arrangements  and  the 
time  required  to  reach  the  postern  gate,  she  made 
no  further  reference  to  the  business  in  hand.  In- 
stead, she  chatted  with  Moore  as  unconcernedly  as 
though  she  rode  for  her  pleasure,  and  not  upon  a 
desperate  mission  where  death  was  likely  waiting 
for  them  all. 

There  was  no  moon,  but  the  stars  burned  with 
double  brilliancy  in  the  wonderful  mountain 
heavens;  the  road  lay  fair  before  them;  and  far 
off  to  the  front  the  lights  of  Lotzen  Castle  beck- 
oned. And  as  they  crossed  the  valley,  the  lights 
gradually  grew  fewer,  until  presently  there  was  but 
one  remaining,  which  Jessac  said  was  the  big  lamp 
on  the  bridge  in  front  of  the  gate-arch,  and  which 
always  burnt  until  sunrise. 

A  little  way  from  the  Lotzen  road  they  met 
Colonel  Bernheim,  alone.  He  bent  forward  in 
sharp  scrutiny. 

"  Thank  God,  Moore,  you  persuaded  her  not  to 
come ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  they  drew  up. 

The  Princess'  light  laugh  answered  him,  and  he 
actually  cried  out  in  distressed  disappointment, 
and  forgot  the  eternal  salute. 

61 1  was  n't  to  be  persuaded,  Colonel,"  said  she. 
"  Is  everything  arranged  ?  " 

This  time  the  salute  came. 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          319 

"  The  dispositions  are  made  as  Your  Highness 
ordered,"  he  answered. 

She  thanked  him,  and  he  rode  beside  her  to  the 
cross-roads. 

"  I  must  leave  you  here. — Heaven  keep  you 
safe  this  night,"  he  ended,  with  broken  voice. 

She  reined  over  close  to  him  and  held  out  her 
hand. 

"  My  good  Bernheim,  nothing  is  going  to  hap- 
pen to  me,"  she  said ;  "  but  if  there  should,  it  will 
be  for  you  and  Epping  to  seat  the  Archduke  where 
he  belongs,  and  to  confound  Lotzen  and  his  satel- 
lites— promise  me." 

The  Colonel's  face  twitched,  and  his  eyes  glist- 
ened, and  for  a  moment  he  bowed  his  head  on  his 
breast;  then  he  leaned  over  and  kissed  her 
gauntlet. 

"  As  God  reigns,  it  shall  be  done,  my  mistress," 
he  said ;  "  and  though  I  have  to  kill  Lotzen  with 
my  own  hand." 

Instead  of  taking  the  road  to  the  Castle  they 
continued  up  the  valley  a  little  way,  to  where  a 
narrow  brook  tumbled  noisily  across  the  track, 
eager  to  reach  the  foaming  Dreer.  Here  Jessac 
dismounted,  and,  leading  his  horse,  turned  up- 
stream. There  was  no  path,  and  the  starlight 
availed  nothing  in  the  heavy  timber,  yet  the  old 
man  never  hesitated,  winding  his  way  among  the 
trees  and  around  the  rocks  as  readily  as  though  it 
were  day.  After  half  a  mile,  the  ground  began 


320  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

to  ascend  sharply;  almost  immediately  he  halted, 
and  at  his  direction  they  turned  the  horses  over 
to  the  orderlies,  and  followed  him  on  foot. 

"  The  postern  paths  such  as  it  is,  is  yonder," 
he  said,  and  a  few  steps  brought  them  to  it,  just 
where  it  ended  its  plunge  down  the  bald  side  of 
the  hill  from  the  Castle  that  now  towered  almost 
straight  above  them,  a  mass  of  black  forbidding- 
ness  respoussed  against  the  sky-line  by  the  reflec- 
tion of  the  gate-way  lamp. 

Colonel  Moore  made  a  last  appeal  to  the  Prin- 
cess to  abandon  her  purpose  to  accompany  them, 
and  was  good-naturedly  overruled,  and  perempto- 
rily ordered  to  lead  on. 

"  Would  you  have  a  Dalberg  retire  with  the 
enemy  in  sight  ?  "  she  ended. 

The  postern  path  was  now  no  path — only  a 
narrow,  water-washed  gully ;  yet,  even  so,  it  was  the 
only  means  of  access  to  the  summit  from  that 
side, — or  indeed,  from  any  side  save  in  front — 
elsewhere  the  tangle  of  brambles  and  the  rocks, 
with  the  almost  perpendicular  elevation,  made 
ascent  practically  impossible  by  daylight,  and  ab- 
solutely impossible  by  night.  In  fact,  this  way 
had  long  been  abandoned,  and  the  present  course 
lay  close  under  the  wall,  and  over  the  moat  by  a 
narrow  foot  bridge,  and  then  along  it  to  the  road 
just  below  the  main  gate.  Jessac  had  not  ven- 
tured to  use  it,  however,  because  it  was  exposed  to 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          321 

the  light  of  the  lamp,  and  so  was  in  full  view  of 
the  porter  on  duty  in  the  tower. 

It  was  rough  climbing,  and  half  way  up  Moore 
called  a  halt,  to  give  the  Princess  a  short  rest; 
then  they  went  on,  stumbling,  slipping,  scramb- 
ling, trying  to  go  quietly,  and  yet,  it  seemed, 
making  noise  sufficient  to  wake  every  one  in  Lotzen 
Castle. 

But  at  last  they  reached  the  top,  and  the  Prin- 
cess leaned  against  the  wall,  breathless  and  tremb- 
ling from  the  unaccustomed  exertion. 

Moore  raised  his  hand  for  silence.  In  the  intense 
calm  of  the  night,  the  lightest  noise  would  have 
echoed  trebly  loud,  yet  the  only  sound  they  heard 
was  the  splashing  of  the  Dreer  among  its  rocks, 
in  the  fog  strewn  valley  far  below.  He  drew  out 
his  watch,  and  after  much  looking  made  out  the 
time. 

"  It 's  after  one  o'clock,"  he  whispered ;  "  when 
Your  Highness  is  ready — — " 

"  I  'm  ready  now,"  said  she,  and  turned  at  once 
to  the  gate. 

"  Quiet,  man,  quiet ! "  Moore  cautioned,  as 
Jessac's  key  scraped  into  the  lock,  and  suddenly 
turned  it  with  a  loud  snap.  The  old  man  pushed 
the  door  back  slowly;  the  arch  was  twenty  feet 
through,  and  the  darkness  impenetrable;  but  he 
entered  unhesitatingly,  and  the  others  with  him, 
Moore's  hand  on  the  Regent's  arm. 
21 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"Can  you  find  the  stone  without  a  light?"  he 
asked. 

"  Easily,  sir !  ....  here  it  is — stand 
back,  my  lord,  or  it  may  hit  you  .... 
there!" 

There  was  a  slight  creak,  and  Moore  was  sensible 
of  something  swinging  up  by  his  face. 

"  It 's  open,  sir,"  said  Jessac ;  "  but  best  not 
show  a  light  until  we  are  inside,  it  might  be  seen 
in  the  courtyard — I  '11  go  in  first — bend  low  or 
you  '11  strike  your  head." 

The  Adjutant  took  Dehra's  hand  and  having 
located  the  stone  and  the  opening,  he  guided  her 
through.  Jessac  closed  the  stone  into  place  and 
then,  by  the  light  of  Moore's  electric  torch,  he 
showed  them  how  it  was  so  balanced  that  by  pres- 
sure at  the  top  (from  without)  or  at  the  bottom 
(from  within)  it  would  swing  around  parallel  with 
the  floor. 

The  passage  was  large  enough  for  two  of  them 
to  walk  abreast  and  without  stooping,  and  ex- 
tended through  the  heart  of  the  wall,  about  a 
hundred  feet,  until  opposite  the  keep,  as  Jessac 
informed  them;  here  it  narrowed  to  half,  and  by 
a  dozen  stone  steps  descended  below  the  level  of 
the  bailey,  and  thence  under  it  to  another  set  of 
steps  leading  up  inside  the  wall  of  the  keep. 

Thus  far  they  had  come  rapidly  and  without  in- 
cident. Suddenly  a  drove  of  rats,  blinded  by  the 
light  and  squeaking  in  terror,  ran  among  their 


feet,  and  the  Princess  instinctively  caught  up  the 
skirts  of  her  long  coat,  and,  with  a  little  shriek 
of  fright,  tried  to  climb  up  the  side  of  the  passage. 

The  cry,  slight  as  it  was,  let  loose  all  the  echoes 
of  the  vault  with  appalling  resonance;  instantly 
Moore  extinguished  the  torch  and  laid  his  hand  on 
her  arm. 

"  What  a  fool  I  am !  "  she  exclaimed  in  a  whisper ; 
"  now,  I  've  spoiled  everything." 

"  Not  likely,"  he  assured  her ;  "  the  castle  is 
asleep  and  the  walls  are  thick,  but  we  best  wait 
a  bit." 

Presently  the  rats  commenced  to  squeak  again, 
and  to  scurry  about,  and  the  Princess  beginning 
to  tremble,  he  switched  on  the  torch  and  motioned 
Jessac  to  proceed. 

Treading  as  lightly  as  one  of  his  own  mountain 
cats,  the  old  fellow  went  swiftly  up  the  stairs, 
and  when  the  others  reached  the  top  he  was  not 
to  be  seen.  Moore  shot  the  light  down  the  passage ; 
thirty  feet  away,  if  the  draft  were  correct,  were 
the  stairs  that  ended  at  the  library;  when  they 
reached  them,  Jessac  was  on  the  landing  signaling 
to  come  on. 

He  drew  the  Colonel  over  to  the  big  stone. 

"  There  used  to  be  a  crack  along  the  edge 
here,"  he  said,  very  low,  "  where  I  could  listen,  and 
also  see  a  very  little,  but  it  seems  to  have  been 
closed.  Shall  I  swing  the  stone,  sir?  " 

Moore  hesitated.     What  lay  behind  the  stone? 


324  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

His  last  look  at  the  library  windows,  from  far 
down  the  hillside,  had  shown  no  light  within;  yet 
was  it  really  so,  or  was  it  only  that  the  curtains 
were  drawn?  If  the  Princess  would  but  consent 
to  remain  here,  at  least  until  he  had  gone  in  and 
inspected.  He  glanced  at  her  uncertainly,  and 
she  read  his  mind,  and  shook  her  head. 

"  I   follow  you,"  she   said. 

With  a  sigh,  he  adjusted  his  mask;  she  and 
De  Coursey  and  Marsov  did  the  same. 

"  Does  the  stone  move  easily  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It  did  when  I  used  it,  sir,"  said  Jessac. 

"  Can  you  open  it  only  a  trifle  at  first  ?  " 

"  No,  my  lord,  once  started  it  must  make  its 
swing." 

"  And  if  there  be  something  in  the  way  ?  " 

"  There  never  used  to  be,  sir ;  it  was  always 
kept  clear." 

"  Then  pray  Heaven  it  is  so  still."  He  loosed 
his  sword  and  shut  off  the  torch.  "  Open ! "  he 
ordered. 

"  It  seems  to  hold,  sir,"  said  Jessac  presently ; 
"  I  can't  move  it — may  I  have  the  light  a  moment? 
Now,  I  '11  try  again." 

They  heard  him  pushing;  gently,  then  harder, 
finally  with  all  his  strength. 

"  I  can't  do  it,  my  lord,"  he  said ;  "  it 's  either 
out  of  balance  or  has  been  closed  on  the  inside." 

The  Princess  gave  an  exclamation  of  alarm. 

"What!"   said   she   impatiently,   "it   can't   be 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          325 

opened? — we  have  failed?  impossible,  it  must  be 
opened — try  again,  Jessac." 

"May  be  it's  only  jammed,"  said  Moore; 
"  come,  I  '11  help  you." 

But  still  the  stone  refused  to  stir — suddenly  it 
moved  a  very  little — caught — moved  a  little  more 
• — caught  again — then  wrenched  itself  free,  with, 
a  grinding  scrape,  and  swung  slowly  around. 

They  heard  it  collide  with  something;  the  next 
moment  came  a  terrific  crash  of  shattering  glass, 
and  the  resounding  clatter  of  a  metal  tray. 

Moore  ground  back  an  oath. 

"  Close  the  stone !  "  said  he  instantly,  "  quick, 
man,  quick ! " 

But  though  it  seemed  to  take  an  eternity  to 
shut  down,  there  was  not  the  slightest  sound,  or 
other  indication  that  any  one  had  been  aroused. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  he  asked  the  Princess ; 
"  that  din  must  have  been  heard ;  shall  we  wait 
and  risk  another  try,  or  escape  now  by  the  postern 
before  we  could  be  cut  off?  " 

"  We  will  risk  another  try,"  said  she,  at  once. 
*'  Give  the  word  whenever  you  wish." 

For  himself  he  was  well  content;  his  fighting 
blood  was  up,  and  here  might  be  his  opportunity 
to  have  it  out  with  Lotzen,  so  he  settled  back  to 
wait,  harkening  for  the  sound  of  any  one  coming 
by  the  passage;  the  location  of  the  broken 
glass  would  tell  the  Duke  instantly  the  cause,  and 
his  first  act,  naturally,  would  be  to  send  a  party 


THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 


around  to  intercept  them ;  though,  being  a  stranger 
in  his  own  castle,  he  might  not  know  of  the  secret 
way,  in  which  case  the  accident  would  have  no 
materially  adverse  result  save,  possibly,  to  startle 
those  within  hearing  from  a  sound  sleep. 

And  while  they  delayed,  Moore  gossiped  in 
whispers  with  the  Regent,  hoping  to  divert  her, 
if  only  a  very  little,  from  the  heavy  strain  she  must 
be  under — the  blackness  was  enough,  in  itself,  for 
a  woman  to  endure,  without  the  danger.  And 
he  marvelled  at  her  calmness  and  ease,  and  the 
light  laugh  which  came  at  times. 

"  It 's  good  of  you,  Colonel,"  said  she  finally, 
"  but  I  think  I  *m  past  fearing  now.  I  was  hor- 
ribly afraid  at  first,  and  the  rats  almost  made  me 
faint  with  terror,  but  now  I  'm  sort  of  dazed, 
dreaming,  automatic,  whatever  it  is — when  the  re- 
action comes,  there  likely  will  be  hysterics — but 
that  shan't  be  until  all  this  is  ended — it 's  this 
inaction  that  is  the  most  trying." 

Moore  touched  Jessac. 

"  How  long  have  we  been  waiting?  "  he  asked. 

"  Well  on  to  half  an  hour,  sir." 

"  Then  swing  the  stone." 

This  time  it  moved  instantly  and  noiselessly. 
Moore  put  his  head  through  the  opening  and  lis- 
tened ;  .  .  save  for  the  ticking  of  a  clock, 
somewhere  across  the  room,  there  was  perfect 

quiet Suddenly      it      chimed      twice; 

when  the  last  reverberation  had  died,  he  stepped 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          327 

carefully  inside;  the  Princess  and  the  others 
followed. 

The  library  was  as  dark  as  the  passage;  with 
a  touch  of  warning  to  the  Regent,  Moore  pressed 
the  torch  and  flashed  the  stream  of  white  light 
around  the  walls — fortune  favored  them;  the  room 
was  unoccupied,  and  every  door  was  closed.  Then 
the  light  struck  the  iron  safe,  and  the  Princess, 
with  the  faintest  exclamation  of  apprehension, 
grasped  her  Adjutant's  arm  and  pointed  at  it. 
If  the  Book  were  in  it,  their  visit  would  be  barren ; 
there  was  neither  opportunity  nor  means  to  break 
inside.  For  the  first  time,  the  idea  of  failure 
touched  her — she  had  been  so  full  of  assurance,  so 
confident  that  once  in  the  Duke's  library  and  suc- 
cess was  certain.  Even  when  Moore  suggested  a 
safe  she  had  waved  it  aside  heedlessly.  Her  mind 
had  been  centered  on  the  desk — that  the  Book  must 
surely  be  in  it.  The  light  reached  the  big,  flat- 
topped  one  in  the  middle  of  the  room ;  with  a  quick 
spring  she  was  at  it,  and  Moore  beside  her. 

Swiftly  they  went  through  the  drawers — noth- 
ing ....  nothing  ....  nothing 
.  .  .  .  ah !  a  bundle  in  black  cloth — she  tossed 
it  out  and  fairly  tore  loose  the  strings — a  glance 
was  enough — leather — metal  hinges — the  Book!  the 
Book !  at  last ! 

In  an  agony  of  delight  she  flung  the  cloth 
around  it. 

"  Come ! — come ! " 


328  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

A  shrill  whistle — the  doors  were  thrown  open 
wide;  in  bounded  three  men,  a  lighted  candelabra 
in  each  hand,  and  behind  them  a  dozen  more  with 
rifles  leveled.  At  the  same  moment,  the  Duke 
himself  stepped  from  behind  a  curtain,  and  closed 
the  stone  into  place. 

At  the  whistle,  De  Coursey,  Marsov  and  old 
Jessac  had  sprung  to  Dehra's  side  and,  with 
Moore,  ranged  themselves  around  her — and  now 
they  stood  there,  five  masked  figures,  swords 
drawn,  the  center  of  a  circle  of  impending  death, 
every  man  ready  to  fling  himself  upon  the  guns 
and  chance  it,  but  restrained  because  of  her  they 
were  sworn  to  guard. 

The  Duke  gave  a  chuckling  laugh. 

"  Altogether  a  very  striking  picture,"  he  re- 
marked, with  a  wave  of  his  hand  around  the  room; 
"  the  candles — the  masks — the  swords — the  guns 
— the  attitudes; — it  is  a  pity,  Cousin  Armand, 
you  cannot  see  it  as  I  do." 

"  He  thinks  I  am  the  Archduke,"  Moore  whis- 
pered to  the  Regent ;  "  let  him  think  it." 

"  Your  coming  to-night  was  a  surprise,"  the 
Duke  was  saying,  "  I  admit  it — I  had  not  expected 
you  before  to-morrow  at  the  earliest — my  compli- 
ments on  your  expeditiousness."  He  drew  out  a 
cigarette  and  lighted  it  at  one  of  the  candles — 
then  flung  the  box  over  on  the  desk ;  "  help  your- 
selves, messieurs,  la  derniere  cigarette,11  he  laughed 
with  sneering  malevolence. 


AT  THE  WHISTLE,  DE  COUE8EY,  MARSOV  AND  OLD  JESSAC  HAD  SPRUNG  TO  DEHRA'SSIDE. 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          329 

*'  Keep  perfectly  still,"  Moore  cautioned,  very 
low.  "  If  it  come  to  the  worst,  I  '11  try  to  kill 
him  first. 

"  Did  you  address  me,  cousin  ?  "  Lotzen  asked ; 
"  a  little  louder,  please — and  keep  your  hand  out- 
side your  coat;  the  first  of  you  who  tries  for  his 
revolver  will  precipitate  a  massacre — even  poor 
marksmen  can't  well  miss  at  such  a  distance,  and 
on  the  whole,  these  fellows  are  rather  skilful." 
He  smoked  a  bit  in  silence,  tapping  the  splintered 
glass  on  the  floor  with  the  point  of  his  sword. 
"  Behold,  cousin,  my  preservers — a  decanter  and 
some  slender  Venetian  goblets;  queer  things, 
surely,  to  decide  the  fate  of  a  Kingdom.  But  for 

their  fall,  you  would  have  won.  Now "  he 

glanced  significantly  toward  the  ready  rifles. 
"  Yet,  on  the  whole,  I  wish  you  had  waited  until 
another  night — it  could  have  been  done  elsewhere 
so  much  more  neatly — before  you  got  here — or 
saw  that,  the  package  in  the  black  cloth.  You 
came  upon  me  so  suddenly,  I  had  time  only  to 
take  you — and  now  that  I  have  you,  frankly, 
cousin,  I  'm  at  a  loss  how  to  dispose  of  you — and 

your  good  friends Come,  I  '11  be 

generous;  choose  your  own  way,  make  it  as  easy 
as  you  like — only,  make  it." 

A  slight  stir  caused  him  to  turn.  Madeline 
Spencer,  in  a  shimmering  white  negligee,  was 
standing  in  the  doorway. 

"  Ah,  my  dear,  come  here,"  he  said ;  "  this  is 


330  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

altogether  the  best  point  of  view  for  the  picture: 
'  The  End  of  the  Game '  is  its  title — is  it  not, 
cousin  ?  " 

In  this  woman's  life  there  had  been  many  scenes, 
strange,  bizarre,  fantastic,  yet  never  one  so  fiercely 
fateful  as  was  this.  And  for  once  she  was  fright- 
ened— the  flickering  candelabra  held  aloft — the 
leveled  guns — the  masked  group  around  the  desk 
— the  lone  man  leaning  nonchalantly  on  a  chair, 
smiling,  idly  indifferent,  as  much  the  master  of 
it  all  as  a  painter,  brush  poised  before  his  canvas, 
able  to  smear  it  out  at  a  single  stroke. 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  her.  She  shook  her 
head,  meaning  to  go  away;  yet  lingering,  fasci- 
nated and  intense.  Armand  Dalberg  was  yonder 
— on  the  brink  of  the  grave,  she  knew.  Once  she  had 
loved  him — still  loved  him,  may  be — but  assuredly 
not  as  she  loved  herself,  and  the  power  of  wealth 
and  place.  Nor  could  she  save  him  even  if  she  try ; 
so  much  she  knew  beyond  a  question,  so,  why  try. 

The  Duke  faced  his  prisoners. 

"  Come,  cousin  mine,  what  shall  it  be :  swords, 
bullets,  poison?  Time  passes.  You  have  disturbed 
me  at  an  unseemly  hour,  and  I  must  to  sleep 

again No  answer,  cousin?  Truly, 

you  have  changed;  once  your  tongue  was  free 
enough ;  and  it 's  not  from  fright,  I  'm  sure ;  that, 
I  will  grant — you  're  no  more  afraid  than  am  I 
myself.  However,  if  you  won't  choose,  I  '11  have 
to  do  it  for  you You  came  by  the 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          331 

secret  passage,  and  by  it  shall  you  return — part 
way — bound,  but  not  gagged,  it  won't  be  necessary ; 
please  appreciate  my  leniency.  Then,  while  you  are 
lying  quietly  there,  the  revolving  stones  shall  be 
sealed  so  tight  that  mortal  man  can  never  find 
them.  Is  it  not  a  fine  plan,  cousin,  to  have  been 
devised  so  quickly;  and  are  you  not  proud  of  the 
mausoleum  that  you,  a  poor,  unknown  American, 
will  have:  the  titular  castle  of  Valeria's  new 
King?  " 

At  first,  the  Princess  had  been  cold  with  terror 
— the  muzzles  of  loaded  rifles  at  ten  paces,  are 
not  for  women's  nerves;  but  as  the  Duke  talked 
she  grew  calmer,  and  the  fear  subsided,  and  anger 
came  instead.  And  even  as  he  seemed  to  take  a 
devilish  pleasure  in  grilling  his  victims  with  rage- 
provoking  words,  so  she  let  him  run  along,  to  dig 
his  own  grave  the  deeper. 

Now  she  stepped  out  from  the  group,  and 
dropped  her  mask. 

"  Which  cousin  do  you  think  you  have  been 
addressing,  my  lord  of  Lotzen  ?  "  she  asked,  taking 
off  her  hat. 

The  commotion  in  the  room  was  instant;  but 
the  Duke  stayed  it  with  an  angry  gesture.  His 
men  were  foreigners,  and  free  of  any  sentiment 
beyond  the  sheen  of  gold. 

"So,  you  little  fool,"  he  laughed,  "  you  have 
dared  to  come  here,  too!  Do  you  fancy  that  even 
you  can  save  your  upstart  lover?  " 


332  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  If  you  mean  His  Royal  Highness  the  Arch- 
duke Armand,"  said  she,  very  quietly,  "  he  needs 
no  saving — he  is  not  here." 

There  was  but  one  person  in  all  the  world  whose 
word  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  would  accept  as  truth: 
he  knew  the  Princess  Dehra  never  lied.  And  now 
he  sprang  up. 

"  Not  here !  "  he  cried,  "  not  here ! " 

She  turned  to  her  companions. 

"  Messieurs,  will  you  do  me  the  courtesy  to 
unmask?  " 

The  Duke  ran  his  eyes  over  the  four,  and 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  thank  you,  messieurs,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  not 
forget  you,  believe  me  I  shall  not. — But  where, 
cousin,  is  His  Royal  Highness  the  Archduke  Ar- 
mand? "  (sneering  out  every  word  of  the  title). 
"  Did  you  lose  him  on  the  way? — or  is  he  skulking 
in  the  passage." 

Dehra  laughed  scornfully.  "  You  change  front 
quickly;  a  moment  since  you  doubted  his  courage 
no  more  than  your  own.  This  is  my  own  adven- 
ture; neither  the  Archduke,  nor  any  one  else  in 
Dalberg  Castle,  is  aware  of  it." 

Lotzen  bowed.  "  My  thanks,  cousin,  for  that 
last  bit  of  news — I  know  the  better,  now,  how  to 
dispose  of  you  and  your  friends." 

The  Princess  walked  over  and  sat  on  the  corner 
of  the  desk. 

"  Am  I  to  understand,  my  lord,  that  you  would 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY 

attempt  to  restrain  me  and  my  escort  from  leaving 
this  castle?" 

"  Those  who  enter  a  residence  with  criminal  in- 
tent, and  are  apprehended  in  the  act,  can  hardly 
expect  to  escape  unscathed.  You  have  overlooked 
the  fact,  doubtless,  that  the  privilege  of  high  jus- 
tice still  attaches  to  this  domain,  though  long  since 
unexerted.  Just  what  that  justice  will  be  I  have 
not  decided — enough,  at  present,  that  you  are 
prisoners  awaiting  sentence,  and  since  none  will 
ever  seek  you  here,  I  can  let  events  determine  when 
and  where  it  will  be  pronounced." 

And  Dehra  understood  just  what  was  in  his 
mind. 

"  Which  is  another  way  of  saying,  cousin,  that 
when  you  have  killed  the  Archduke  or  made  him 
prisoner,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  pass  judgment 
on  us." 

The  Duke  gave  his  chuckling  laugh. 

"  Your  Highness  has  the  wisdom  of  a  sage,'* 
he  said ;  "  and  I  advise  you  to  employ  it  during 
your  sojourn  here,  in  ascertaining  just  what  atti- 
tude is  likely  to  be  the  best  for  yourself,  after 
the  American  has  been — eliminated." 

And  now  the  anger,  which  had  been  burning 
hotter  and  hotter,  burst  into  flame. 

"  Do  you  fancy,  Ferdinand  of  Lotzen,"  she  ex- 
claimed, striking  a  chair  with  the  flat  of  her  sword, 
"  that  I  would  venture  into  this  den  without  first 
having  made  ample  provision  for  our  safe  return? 


334  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

Around  this  place,  at  this  moment,  stretches  a 
cordon  of  three  thousand  soldiers  with  orders  to 
let  no  one  pass  the  lines,  and  if  by  sunrise  I  have 
not  returned,  to  take  this  Castle  by  assault  and 
show  no  quarter.  Colonel  Bernheim  is  in  com- 
mand. I  fancy  you  will  admit  that  he  will  execute 
the  orders." 

*'  I  will,"  said  Lotzen. 

"  And  if  you  doubt  as  to  the  troops,  you  can 
send  and " 

"  I  will  admit  the  troops  also,  cousin." 

The  Princess  put  the  cloth-wrapped  book  under 
her  arm  and  stood  up. 

"  Then,  if  you  will  clear  the  doorway,  we  will 
depart." 

"  Not  so  fast,  my  dear,"  he  smiled ;  "  you  seem 
to  have  missed  the  fact  that  a  written  command 
is  quite  as  effective  as  an  oral  one;  therefore,  you 
will  oblige  me  by  taking  of  the  paper  and  ink  on 
the  desk  beside  you,  and  inditing  to  Colonel  Bern- 
heim an  order  to  withdraw  instantly  all  the  troops 
to  Porgia,  and  himself  to  join  you  here — but  first, 
you  will  favor  me  by  returning  that  bundle  to 
the  drawer  where  you  got  it." 

The  Princess  glanced  uncertainly  at  Moore, 
hesitated,  then  handed  the  bundle  to  him,  and  turn- 
ing to  the  desk  wrote  rapidly  for  a  few  minutes 
— read  over  the  sheet,  and  held  it  out  to  the  Duke. 

He  took  it  with  a  bow,  and  went  back  to  his 
place.  ....  The  order  was  clear  and  un- 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          335 

equivocal,  almost  in  his  own  words,  indeed.  Her 
ready  acquiescence  had  amazed  him — now  doubt 
came,  and  then  suspicion — was  he  being  outwitted? 
Had  she  provided  for  just  such  a  contingency? 
He  read  the  order  again — then  put  it  in  its  en- 
velope and  went  toward  the  corridor  door.  He 
would  have  to  chance  it. 

"  One  moment,  cousin,"  said  the  Princess ;  "  you 
may  as  well  know  that  the  only  effect  of  that  order, 
or  any  other,  save  from  my  own  lips,  will  be  to 
bring  the  assault  forthwith,  instead  of  at  sunrise. 
It 's  for  you  to  choose  which  it  shall  be." 

He  turned  and  regarded  her  contemplatively; 
and  she  spoke  again. 

"  What  is  the  profit  now  in  restraining  us  ?  You 
have  been  playing  for  a  Crown — you  have  lost;" 
(pointing  to  the  book)  "  but  why  lose  your  life, 
too — though,  frankly,  as  to  that,  save  for  the 
nasty  scandal,  I  have  no  concern." 

His  face  hardened.  "  There  could  be  a  few  lives 
lost  here  before  sunrise,"  he  answered. 

She  smiled  indifferently,  though  her  heart  beat 
faster  at  the  threat;  she  had  risked  everything  on 
her  firm  conviction  that  his  cool,  calculating  brain 
would  never  be  run  away  with  by  anger  nor  re- 
venge— and  the  test  was  now. 

"  Assuredly,  my  dear  Ferdinand,"  said  she, 
"  you  can  have  us  killed — and  then  the  sunrise." 

But  he  stared  at  her  unrelentingly,  and  fear  be- 
gan to  crowd  upon  her  fast. 


336  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Have  we  lost?  "  she  said  very  low  to  Moore. 
"  Have  I  brought  you  all  to  death?  " 

"  It  depends  on  the  next  minute,"  he  replied ; 
"  if  we  live  through  it  we  're  safe.  He  will  have 
quit  seeing  red  then." 

And  Madeline  Spencer  saw  that  he  was  hesitat- 
ing; swiftly  she  went  to  him,  and  taking  his 
hand,  spoke  to  him  softly  and  with  insistent 
earnestness. 

Gradually  the  frown  faded ;  the  fell  look  passed ; 
at  last,  he  smiled  at  her  and  nodded. 

"  We  win,"  said  Moore. 

The  Duke  turned  toward  the  corridor  door  and 
gave  an  order;  the  men  drew  aside  into  line,  rifles 
at  the  present.  Then  he  bowed  low  to  the 
Princess. 

"  Since  I  know  I  may  not  do  the  honor  myself," 
he  said,  "  I  pray  you  will  accept  my  Constable  as 
my  substitute. — Captain  Durant,  escort  Her  Royal 
Highness  the  Regent  to  the  main  gate." 

Durant  stepped  forward  and  his  blade  flashed 
in  salute.  Dehra  acknowledged  it  with  her  own, 
then  snapped  it  back  into  its  sheath. 

"  Lead  on,  sir !  "  she  said  very  graciously,  and 
gave  him  her  hand. 

Without  so  much  as  a  glance  at  the  Duke,  she 
passed  from  the  room;  and  on  the  other  side  of 
her  went  Colonel  Moore,  sword  in  one  hand,  the 
cloth-wrapped  book  in  the  other. 

When   they   had   gone,   Lotzen   dismissed   every 


IN  THE  DUKE'S  LIBRARY          337 

one  with  a  nod,  and  sitting  down  drew  Madeline 
Spencer  on  his  knee. 

"  You  're  my  good  angel,"  he  said ;  "  you  came 
at  the  psychological  moment;  another  instant  and 
I  would  have  sent  them  all  to  the  devil." 

She  slipped  her  arm  around  his  neck,  and  kissed 
him  lightly  on  the  cheek. 

"  And  then  the  sunrise,"  she  whispered,  with  a 
shudder. 

He  caught  her  to  him. 

"And  even  Paris  is  better  than  that,  my 
duchess !  "  he  cried ;  "  Paris  or  anywhere,  with  you." 
.  .  .  .  Presently  he  laughed.  "  I  should  like 
to  see  Dehra's  face  when  she  opens  that  book,"  he 
said. 

Madeline  Spencer  sprang  up,  pointing  to  the 
clock. 

"  We  are  wasting  time,"  she  exclaimed.  "  Don't 
you  see  that  we  must  go  to  Dornlitz  this  very  night 
— that,  now,  to-morrow  will  be  too  late." 

"  You  're  right !  "  he  said ;  and,  with  wrinkled 
brow  and  half-closed  eyes,  sat,  thinking — then: 
"  We  may  not  use  a  special  train,  for  we  must  go 
disguised;  but  the  express  for  the  South  passes 
Porgia  at  four  o'clock ;  we  will  take  it ;  if  it 's  on 
time  we  shall  be  in  Dornlitz  at  seven  in  the  evening, 
which  will  allow  us  an  hour  to  get  to  the  Summer 
Palace — after  eight  o'clock  not  even  I  would  be 
admitted,  in  the  absence  of  the  Regent.  Should  we 
be  delayed,  as  is  very  likely,  we  can  go  out  early  the 
22 


338  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

following  morning.  The  American  won't  know 
we  left  here,  and  will  not  be  in  any  haste  to  return 
— and  even  if  he  is,  it 's  not  probable  he  will  leave 
before  late  to-morrow  night,  which  will  bring  him 
to  the  Capital  about  noon — long  after  we  have 
been  in  the  library  and  got  the  Book."  He  strode 
to  the  door  and  shouted  into  the  corridor  for  Du- 

rant "  Captain,"  said  he,  "  have  the 

fastest  pair  and  strongest  carriage  before  the  door 
at  once.  Madame  and  I  are  off  instantly  for  the 
Capital;  but  see  that  no  one  in  the  Castle  knows 
it;  close  the  gates,  and  let  none  depart.  In  half 
an  hour,  send  four  of  your  trustiest  men  to  cut 
the  telephone  line,  in  various  places,  between 
Porgia  and  Dalberg  Castle;  keep  it  cut  all  day, 
and  prevent,  in  every  way  possible,  any  messages 
reaching  the  Castle.  If  the  Regent,  or  the  Amer- 
ican Archduke,  leave  by  train  before  to-morrow 
night,  wire  me  immediately.  Do  you  understand? 

— then    away Come  along,  Duchess, 

only  ten  minutes  to  dress  !  " 

With  a  laugh  he  swung  her  up  in  his  arms  and 
bore  her  to  the  doorway,  snatched  a  kiss,  and  left 
her. 


XXII 

THE   BOOK   IN   THE   CLOTH 

As  is  usually  the  case  when  a  man  retires  before 
his  accustomed  hour,  the  Archduke's  slumber  was 
capricious  and  broken,  finally  ending  in  complete 
wakefulness  and  an  intense  mental  activity  that 
defied  sleep.  At  length  he  switched  on  the  reading 
lamp  beside  his  bed  and  looked  at  his  watch.  It 
was  only  three  o'clock.  With  an  exclamation  of 
disgust  he  got  up  and  dressed,  and  went  down  to 
the  library.  The  draft  of  Lotzen  Castle  was  not 
as  distinct  in  his  mind  as  it  should  be ;  he  would 
have  another  careful  look  at  it  and  then,  alone  on 
the  ramparts,  with  plenty  of  room  to  walk  and 
think,  he  would  work  out  the  plan  of  campaign  for 
the  morrow. 

He  had  put  the  plan  and  Jessac's  keys  together 
in  the  desk,  the  top  drawer  on  the  right. — They 
were  not  there — nor  in  the  next  one — nor  the  next 
— nor  the  next — they  were  not  in  any  of  them. 

He  searched  again,  and  carefully 

they  were  gone.  He  went  to  the  far  corner  where 
Major  Meux  had  got  the  portfolio;  its  place  was 
empty.  He  frowned  in  puzzled  irritation;  who 
would  have  presumed  to  meddle  with  them? 
Moore,  possibly,  to  study  the  draft,  but  he  would 
not  have  taken  the  keys ;  they  would  be  wanted 
only  when 339 


340  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  God !  might  it  be ! "  he  cried  aloud,  "  might  it 
be!" 

His  mind  flashed  back  through  the  day:  Dehra's 
solicitude  that  he  should  not  go  to-night — borrow 
Bernheim — early  to  bed — a  dozen  other  trifles  now 
most  indicative.  With  a  curse  at  his  stupidity, 
he  ran  to  Moore's  quarters — empty — the  bed  un- 
touched; then  to  Bernheim's — the  same  there;  to 
De  Coursey's — to  Marsov's — both  the  same.  He 
burst  unannounced  into  the  ante-chamber  of  the 
Princess'  apartments,  bringing  a  shriek  from  each 
of  the  sleepy  maids. 

"  Your  mistress — is  she  here  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Her  Highness  retired  hours  ago,  sir,"  one 
of  them  replied  tremblingly,  fright  still  upon  her. 

"  But  is  she  there  now  ? — Send  Marie  here  in- 
stantly." 

The  French  girl  came,  wrapped  in  a  long 
chamber  robe. 

"  Is  your  mistress   asleep  ?  "   he   asked. 

"  Yes,  Monsieur  le  Prince,  hours  ago." 

He  reached  over  and  flung  back  her  robe. 

"  Then  why  are  you  still  dressed  and  waiting 
up  for  her?  Don't  lie  to  me,  girl;  where  is  Her 
Highness  ?  " 

"  Monsieur  doubts  me?  " 

The  Archduke  made  an  angry  gesture. 

"  Go  to  her — say  I  must  speak  with  her  at  once." 

"  Wake  the  Regent !    I  dare  not,  sir." 

He  pushed  her  aside  and  went  on  into  the  next 
room.  She  sprang  after,  and  caught  his  hand. 


THE  BOOK  IN  THE  CLOTH         341 

"  Your  Highness !  "  she  cried,  "  you  would  not ! 
— you  would  not !  " 

He  seized  her  by  the  arm.  "  You  little  fool ! 
the  truth — the  truth — if  your  mistress  is  n't  here, 
she  is  in  awful  peril — may  be  dead."  He  shook  her 
almost  fiercely.  "  The  truth,  I  say,  the  truth ! " 

With  a  cry  the  girl  sank  to  the  floor. 

"  Peril !— death !"  she  echoed.  "She  but  went 
for  a  ride,  sir ;  I  do  not  understand " 

The  Archduke  was  gone;  he  required  no  further 
information. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  with  thirty  of  the 
garrison  at  his  back — all  that  could  be  provided 
with  horses — he  set  out  for  Lotzen  Castle;  leaving 
it  for  Courtney,  whose  official  position1  denied  him 
the  privilege  of  going  along,  to  telephone  the  Com- 
mandant at  Porgia  for  troops. 

"  She  went  to  save  me,  Dick,"  he  said ;  "  now  I 

will  save  her  or good-bye,"  and  the  two  men 

had  gripped  hands  hard,  then  the  Archduke  rode 
away. 

At  first,  his  anger  had  been  hot  against  Moore 
and  Bernheim,  but  now  that  sober  second  thought 
was  come,  he  knew  that  they  were  not  to  blame, 
that  the  Regent  herself  had  ordered  them  to  the 
service  and  to  silence.  And  presently  his  hope 
rose  at  the  thought  of  the  one's  skilful  sword  and 
sure  revolver,  and  the  other's  steady  head  and 
calm  discretion;  together,  with  De  Coursey  and 
Marsov,  there  might  be  a  chance  that  the  Princess 


342  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

would  come  out  alive.  But  the  hope  grew  sud- 
denly very  slender,  as  he  reached  the  valley  road 
and  saw  the  great  light  of  Lotzen  Castle  shining 
far  away,  and  remembered  his  own  sensations  as 
he  had  stood  under  it  that  afternoon,  and  who  its 
master  was  and  what. 

They  had  been  obliged  to  go  slowly  down  the 
steep  and  winding  avenue,  now  he  swung  into  a 
gallop  and  the  six  score  hoofs  went  thundering 
through  the  valley,  leaving  the  startled  inhabitants 
staring,  and  wondering  at  the  strange  doings  of 
all  who  came  from  the  South.  But  them  the  Arch- 
duke never  saw — nor  anything,  indeed,  save  the 
track  before  him  and  the  light  ahead,  riding  with 
hands  low  on  the  saddle,  face  set  and  stern;  im- 
placable and  relentless  as  the  first  Dalberg  him- 
self, the  day  he  rescued  his  lady  from  that  same 
Castle  of  Lotzen  and  hung  its  Baron  in  quarters 
from  the  gate  tower. 

Only  once  did  the  Archduke  pause ;  at  the  Dreer, 
a  moment  to  breathe  the  horses  and  let  them  wet 
their  throats.  In  the  darkness  he  did  not  see  a 
bunch  of  horsemen  round  the  turn  in  front  and 
trot  slowly  toward  him,  nor  could  he  hear  them 
for  the  thrashing  of  his  own  horses  in  the  water. 
The  first  he  knew  of  them  was  Colonel  Moore's 
peremptory  hail: 

"  What  force  is  that  yonder?  " 

With  a  shout  that  rang  far  into  the  night,  Ar- 
mand  sent  his  mare  bounding  through  the  stream. 


THE  BOOK  IN  THE  CLOTH         343 

"  The  Princess  ?  the  Princess  ?  "  he  cried,  "  is 
she  safe?  " 

And  her  own  voice  answered,  joyful  and 
triumphant. 

"  I  'm  here,  Armand,  I  'm  here." 

What  need  to  tell  what  he  said,  as  reining  in 
close  he  drew  her  over  to  him!  The  words  were  a 
bit  incoherent,  may  be,  but  Dehra  understood;  and 
presently  she  put  her  arms  around  his  neck  and 
kissed  him. 

"  Come,  Sire,"  she  said,  "  let  us  go  on — and 
when  we  get  to  the  Castle,  Your  Majesty  shall 
have  again  the  Book  of  Laws." 

"  The  Book !  you  cannot  mean  you  've  been  in 
Lotzen  Castle?  " 

She  laughed  her  merry  little  laugh.  "  And  out 
again — and  the  Book  with  us,  from  under  our 
dear  cousin's  very  eyes." 

"  You  brave  girl . — you  foolish  child ! — you 
wonder  among  women ! "  he  marvelled. 

She  put  out  her  hand,  and  took  his ;  and  so  they 
rode,  back  through  the  valley  and  up  the  avenue 
to  the  Castle,  and  as  they  went  she  told  him  the 
story  of  the  night. 

"  But  better  than  the  Book,  sweetheart,"  she 
ended,  as  they  drew  up  before  the  entrance,  "  it 
saves  you  for  Valeria  and  for  me;  had  you  been 
there,  helpless  under  his  guns,  not  all  the  troops 
in  the  Kingdom  would  have  held  Lotzen's  hand." 

"  And  better  than  all  else,"  he  said,  as  he  swung 
her  down,  "  is  your  own  dear  self." 


344  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  Nonsense,"  she  replied,  "  I  'm  but  a  woman — 

you  are  the  Dalberg  and  a  King 

Colonel  Moore,  bring  your  package  to  the  library, 
and  summon  all  our  friends." 

When  they  had  come,  the  Princess  took  the  bun- 
dle, still  wrapped  in  its  black  cloth,  and  handed  it 
to  Armand. 

"  Sire,"  said  she,  "  the  Laws  of  the  Dalbergs — 
found  this  night  in  Lotzen  Castle." 

Without  a  word  he  bent  and  kissed  her  hand, — 
then,  laying  the  package  on  the  desk,  he  cut  the 
strings  and  removed  the  cloth,  exposing  the  big, 
leather-covered,  brass-bound  volume. 

"  Read  the  decree,  Sire ! "  she  exclaimed. 

He  opened  the  book — stopped — turned  a  page 
— then  slowly  closed  it. 

"  Suppose  we  wait,  Your  Highness,  until  the 
Royal  Council  is  present,"  he  said. 

But  something  in  his  voice  alarmed  her — 
she  sprang  forward,  pushed  aside  his  restraining 
arm,  and  seized  the  book.  One  glance  inside — an 
exclamation  of  bewildered  incredulity;  another 
glance — and  the  book  dropped  to  the  floor. 

"  False !  "  she  cried,  "  false !  "  and  flung  herself 
across  the  desk  in  an  hysteria  of  tears. 

Instantly  Courtney  turned  and  quitted  the  room, 
and  the  rest  after  him,  leaving  her  and  the  Arch- 
duke alone  together. 

It  was  evening  when  the  Princess  appeared 
again.  She  came  just  as  the  clock  was  striking 


THE  BOOK  IN  THE  CLOTH         345 

nine,  and  taking  the  American  Ambassador's  arm, 
led  the  way  in  to  dinner,  which  here  was  en  famille, 
and  without  any  ceremony  of  the  Court. 

"  Tell  me,  Mr.  Courtney,  that  I  don't  look  quite 
so  foolish  as  I  feel,"  she  laughed. 

He  let  his  eyes  linger  on  her — this  lovely  woman 
who  was  a  nation's  toast — the  imperially  poised 
head,  with  the  glorious,  gleaming  hair,  and  the 
haughty,  high-bred  face  that,  when  she  willed, 
could  be  so  sweet  and  tender;  the  slender,  rounded 
figure  in  its  soft  white  gown  of  clinging  silk — 
he  shook  his.  gray  head. 

"  If  you  feel  as  you  look,"  he  answered,  "  you 
are  not  of  this  world,  but  of  Paradise." 

"O h,  monsieur!  and  Lady  Helen  just 

across  the  table." 

He  fingered  his  imperial  a  moment,  then  leaned 
close. 

"  Helen  is  an  angel,  too,"  he  said. 

"  You  mean — ?  "   she   exclaimed. 

He  smiled.  "  Yes,  I  mean — on  our  ride  this 
afternoon — but  don't  tell  it,  now." 

She  took  his  hand  low  under  the  board. 

"  I  'm  so  glad,"  she  said ;  "  Helen  's  a  dear — 
and  so  are  you."  Then  she  gave  a  little  laugh. 
"  This  seems  to  have  been  a  rather  busy  afternoon 
for  Cupid." 

"Another?— Mile.    d'Essolde    and   Moore?" 

She  nodded.  "  Yes,  but  not  a  word  of  it,  either 
— not  even  to  Helen,"  quizzically. 


346  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  No,  not  even  to  Helen,"  he  said  with  well 
affected  gravity,  his  lips  twitching  the  while. 

A  footman  entered  and  passed  a  note  to  Colonel 
Bernheim,  but  the  Princess*  eyes  had  caught  the 
pink  of  the  envelope  and  she  knew  it  was  a  wire, 
and  of  exceeding  importance  to  be  brought  there 
now — and  it  was  for  the  Archduke;  if  it  were  for 
her,  Moore  would  have  got  it.  Chatting  gayly 
with  Courtney,  she  yet  watched  Bernheim,  as  he 
read  the  message,  holding  it  down,  out  of  sight. 

It  seemed  to  be  very  brief,  for  almost  instantly 
he  glanced  at  the  Archduke — hesitated — then  sent 
it  to  him. 

"  What  is  it,  Armand?  "  she  said,  as  he  took  it. 
"  What  has  Lotzen  done  now?  " 

"  Why  Lotzen  ?  "  he  laughed,  spreading  the 
sheet  on  the  cloth  before  them. 

It  was  dated  Dornlitz: — 

"  The  Duke  arrived  here  at  eight-thirty  this  evening 
on  the  express  from  the  North.     He  was  in  disguise. 

"  EPPINO." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  she. 

"  Neither  do  I,"  he  answered ;  "  that 's  the  trou- 
ble with  our  cousin,  he  is  always  doing  queer 
things." 

"  But  he  was  at  Lotzen  Castle  this  morning." 

"  And  is  in  Dornlitz  now ; —  he  shoved  the 
wire  across  to  Courtney. — "  Dick,  what  do  you 
make  of  this — what 's  doing  now  ?  " 


THE  BOOK  IN  THE  CLOTH         347 

Courtney  read  it,  then  stared  thoughtfully  into 
his  wine  glass,  twirling  it  slowly  the  while,  the 
amber  bubbles  streaming  upward. 

"  I  make  enough  of  it,"  he  said,  "  to  urge  that 
you  hurry  back  to  the  Capital.  The  false  Book 
was  intended  primarily  to  lure  you  here,  where 
you  could  be  killed  more  easily,  but  its  purpose 
also  was  to  get  you  away  from  Dornlitz.  The  first 
failed,  because  Her  Highness  forced  Lotzen's  hand 
so  quickly  he  was  unprepared;  the  second,  however, 
has  won, — he  has  eluded  you.  I  have  always  in- 
sisted that  he  has  n't  the  Book,  but  now  I  am  per- 
suaded that  he  knows  where  it  is,  and  has  gone  for 
it." 

"  Let  us  go,  Armand ! "  the  Princess  exclaimed 
— "  let  us  go  instantly." 

He  put  his  hand  on  her  arm. 

"  We  will  go,  dear,"  he  said — "  see — "  and 
turning  over  the  sheet,  he  wrote: — 

"  EPPING, 

"  Dornlitz. 

"  Keep   him   under   surveillance.     We  leave   to-night; 
reach  Dornlitz  by  ten  A.  M. 

"  ABMAND." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Princess,  "  and  add  that  he  is 
to  call  the  Royal  Council  for  half  after  ten  at  the 
Summer  Palace. — I  'm  going  to  give  Lotzen  a 
chance  to  explain  a  few  things." 


XXIII 

THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS 

WHEN  the  train  had  crossed  the  Lorg  and  the 
towers  of  Dornlitz  shone  far  off  to  the  front,  the 
following  morning,  the  Princess  sent  for  the 
Archduke. 

"  Armand,"  said  she,  "  I  have  been  thinking — • 
much  of  the  night,  indeed — and  I  am  persuaded 
that  this  day  will  see  the  end  of  our  quest;  don't 
smile;  wait,  wait  until  the  day  has  passed.  Lotzen 
knows  where  the  Book  is — he  has  n't  it — he  never 
has  had  it — he  would  not  have  needed  a  counter- 
feit if  he  had ;  besides,  do  you  fancy  he  would  have 
left  it  behind  when  he  went  to  Lotzenia— or  that  he 
would  have  come  back  here  if  he  had  it  with  him? 
If  he  knows  now  where  the  Book  is,  he  has  known 
all  along — then  why  has  n't  he  got  it?  Because 
it  's  been  impracticable,  no  adequate  opportunity. 
Where  is  the  opportunity  now  that  he  has  n't  had 
before? — the  Summer  Palace — with  the  Household 
gone,  he  can  spend  a  day  in  it  without  explanation 
or  interruption — and  the  King's  suite  is  vacant. 
There  Adolph  hid  the  Laws — and  Lotzen  knows 
where — and  they  are  what  he  has  gone  for;  that 
is  why  he  left  his  Castle  night  before  last,  within 
an  hour  after  me ;  he  realized  the  false  book  would 
348 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          349 

send  us  back  to  Dornlitz  and  that  he  must  go  in- 
stantly if  he  would  be  there  first.  Oh,  it 's  all  plain 
now — to  me  at  least." 

The  Archduke  went  over  and  stood  beside  her, 
stroking  her  fair  hair  softly  with  his  finger  tips. 

"  Sweetheart,"  said  he,  "  there  is  much  force  in 
what  you  say,  and  you  will  also  remember  that 
Elise  d'Essolde  saw  Lotzen  come  from  the  library 
the  day  you  charged  him  with  killing  Adolph  and 
stealing  the  Book.  Yet  the  answer  to  it  all  is, 
that  the  entire  Palace  has  been  searched  and  vainly 
— and  the  King's  suite  torn  almost  into  bits. 
Hence,  under  the  facts,  your  theory  seems 
unavailing." 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  a  half  disappointed 
smile,  but  with  an  insistent  shake  of  the  head. 

"  You  go  too  far  with  your  facts,  dear,"  she 
said ;  "  I,  too,  thought  that  every  inch  of  the 
King's  suite  had  been  searched,  but  I  've  changed 
my  mind ;  it  has  n't  been — if  it  had,  we  would 
have .  found  the  Laws." — She  gave  a  cry  and 
sprang  up.  "  The  box,  Armand !  the  box !  the 
Book's  in  it." 

He  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"  The   box   was   empty,"   he  said. 

"  Yes — was!  was!  but  is  not  now !  When  did 
you  look  in  it  last  ?  " 

"At  the  Council." 

"  Exactly — so  did  I — and  Adolph  brought  it 
to  us,  lid  down  and  *  locked,'  he  said.  Oh,  I  see 


350  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

it  all  now : — it  was  n't  locked,  and  he  put  the  Book 
back  in  it,  and  told  Lotzen,  and  Lotzen  killed 
him — and  then,  when  he  came  for  the  Book,  he 
found  the  combination  changed — you  did  it,  you 
know — and  as  long  as  Moore  was  in  the  suite  he 
could  not  break  the  vault;  so  he  lures  us  all  away: 
if  he  can  kill  you,  he  will  be  King  and  can  get 
the  Book  at  his  leisure;  if  he  fail,  as  he  has  done, 
then  it 's  the  Laws  before  we  return."  She  flung 
her  arms  around  his  neck.  "  Don't  tell  me  I  'm 
mistaken,  Armand !  don't  tell  me  I  'in  mistaken !  " 

He  held  her  off,  and  looked  at  her  in  wondering 
admiration. 

"  Oh  woman !  "  he  said,  "  oh  faith,  and  intuition, 
and  loyalty  beyond  the  stars!  No,  Dehra,  I  will 
not  say  you  are  mistaken;  I  do  not  know;  we  will 
test  it.  We  will  go  straight  to  the  Palace — you 
and  I,  without  a  word  as  to  our  purpose — and 
we  will  open  the  vault,  and  the  box — and  if  the 
Laws  are  in  it,  yours  be  the  glory." 

"  And  yours  the  Crown ! "  she  cried,  and  kissed 
his  hand. 

Then  the  train  ran  into  the  station  and  stopped, 
and  the  Archduke  stepped  out  and  gave  his  hand 
to  the  Princess.  The  platform  was  empty  save 
for  Count  Epping. 

"  Your  Royal  Highness  will  pardon  the  infor- 
mality of  your  reception,"  the  Prime  Minister 
said,  when  the  greetings  were  over ;  "  I  assumed 
you  did  not  want  Lotzen  to  know  of  your  coming; 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          351 

I  even  waited  until  nine  o'clock  to  call  the  Council; 
— and  I  did  not  notify  him,  and  so  warn  him  that 
we  had  penetrated  his  disguise." 

"  Where  is  he  now?  "  the  Princess  asked. 

"  At  Ferida  Palace — he  went  there  last  night 
and  has  not  left  it  since." 

"  I  think  I  want  him  at  the  Council,"  she  said ; 
"  Colonel  Moore,  will  you  and  Colonel  Bernheim 
please  go  and  summon  him ;  then  follow  us  at  once ; 
and  do  you,  my  dear  Count,  come  to  me  as  soon 
as  the  Ministers  have  assembled." 

The  brougham  flashed  away,  and  the  Archduke 
drew  down  the  blinds. 

Dehra  gave  a  satisfied  little  sigh  and  sank  back 
in  the  corner. 

"  We  seem  to  have  beaten  him,"  she  said ;  "  we 
shall  have  the  first  look  into  the  box." 

Armand  put  his  arm  around  her,  and  drew  the 
fair  head  to  his  shoulder. 

"  I  have  already  beaten  him,"  he  said — "  we 
fought  first,  for  you,  little  girl.  A  fig  for  the 
box,  and  the  Book  and  the  Crown ! " 

At  the  gate  of  the  Park  the  Princess  signaled 
to  halt,  and  raised  the  blind. 

"  Who  of  the  Royal  Council  have  arrived  ? " 
she  asked  the  officer  on  duty. 

"  His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Lotzen, 
General  Du "  he  got  no  further. 

"  To  my  private  entrance !  quick,  quick ! "  she 
called,  and  the  carriage  shot  away 


352  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  What  does  it  mean  ?  "  she  demanded ;  "  Epping 
said  Lotzen  had  not  left  the  Ferida." 

"  It  means  that  you  have  solved  the  riddle. 
Lotzen  has  not  come  to  the  Council,  he  does  not 
even  know  of  it;  he  has  come  for  the  Book." 

They  drew  up  at  the  door,  the  Archduke  opened 
it  with  Dehra's  key,  and  they  dashed  up  stairs. 
She  snatched  a  master-key  from  a  drawer  of  her 
writing  table,  and  they  crossed  the  corridor  and 
entered  the  King's  suite  through  the  small  recep- 
tion room,  between  which  and  the  library  lay  a 
cabinet  and  a  bedroom. 

As  they  entered  the  latter,  treading  cautiously, 
they  heard  the  Duke  of  Lotzen's  voice  in  the 
library,  the  door  of  which  stood  ajar. 

"  It 's  a  pity  to  break  it,"  he  was  saying,  "  but 
"  and  there  was  a  snap  and  crack. 

Under  the  Archduke's  hand  the  door  opened 
noiselessly,  and  through  the  narrow  rift,  between 
the  hangings,  they  could  see  within. 

The  Duke,  no  longer  disguised  but  wearing  the 
undress  uniform  of  his  rank,  was  standing  at  the 
large  desk;  beside  him  an  officer  in  a  long  cape 
and  a  Cuirassier  helmet;  and  before  him  the  big, 
black  box  of  the  Laws.  He  had  just  forced  the 
lock;  now  he  laid  back  the  lid,  and  took  out  the 
Book. 

"  We  win,  Duchess !  "  he  said,  "  we  win !  thanks 
to  your  marvellous  fingers  and  quick  brain,"  and 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          353 

lifting  the  helmet  from  Madeline  Spencer's  high 
piled  hair,  he  kissed  her  ardently. 

"  Not  so,  cousin ! "  said  the  Princess,  flinging 
aside  the  curtain,  "  you  lose — it  is  we  who  win." 

For  a  moment  the  Duke  stood  staring,  too 
amazed  to  speak,  and  Mrs.  Spencer,  with  a  sharp 
cry,  fled  to  his  side;  then,  as  he  saw  the  end  of 
his  dream,  the  passing  of  his  hopes,  the  fierce  and 
fiery  spirit,  that  was  always  burning  deep  in  his 
soul,  burst  through  the  gyves  of  studied  equanim- 
ity his  stern  will  had  imposed. 

"  Not  yet !  "  he  cried,  "  not  yet !  "  and  turning 
quickly  he  tossed  the  Book  into  the  big  chimney 
behind  him  where  a  wood  fire  burned. 

"  Come  on ! "  he  taunted,  flashing  out  his  sword, 
"  come  on,  cousin  Armand ! — there  's  your  crown, 
come  get  it !  " 

"  Look  to  the  Book,  Dehra ! "  the  Archduke 
called,  and  sprang  at  Lotzen,  with  a  joyful  smile. 
"  At  last ! "  he  said,  and  the  fight  began. 

"  Push  the  Book  farther  into  the  fire,  Madeline !  " 
the  Duke  ordered,  the  words  timed  to  the  beat  of 
the  steel. 

Dropping  her  cape  Mrs.  Spencer,  with  the  easy 
hand  of  a  practiced  fencer,  whipped  out  the  sword 
she  was  wearing,  in  her  disguise  as  an  officer,  and 
was  speeding  to  obey,  when  Dehra  caught  up 
one  of  Colonel  Moore's  swords  from  the  corner 
and  rushed  upon  her. 

"  Guard  yourself,  Duchess !  "  Lotzen  cried ;  and 
23 


354  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

she  swung  around  just  in  time  to  throw  herself 
between  the  Princess  and  the  fireplace.  Instantly 
their  blades  rang  together. 

The  Archduke  heard,  and  out  of  the  side  of 
his  eye  he  saw,  and  his  brow  wrinkled  in  anxiety. 
Spencer  was  no  novice;  she,  too,  he  knew,  had 
learned  the  gentle  art  of  the  foils  in  her  youth, 
and  under  French  maitres,  and  she  was  not  to  be 
despised  even  by  one  so  skilful  as  the  Regent.  He 
had  little  doubt  that  he  could  kill  the  Duke,  but 
what  profit  in  it  if  Dehra  died.  He  hesitated  to 
speak,  it  might  disconcert  her,  and  yet  he  must 
warn  her. 

"  Watch  her  play  in  tierce,"  he  said,  in  the  most 
casual  tone;  and  almost  shouted  for  joy,  when  he 
heard  Dehra's  little  laugh,  and  her  voice  calm 
and  easy. 

"Thank  you,  Armand!" 

But  it  very  nearly  cost  him  his  own  life,  for  in 
trying  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  he  had  loosed  his 
eye-grip,  and  Lotzen's  point  shot  out  viciously, 
and  only  a  lucky  swing  aside  sent  it  scraping 
along  the  skin  instead  of  through  the  neck. 

"  Rather  close,  cousin !  "  he  remarked. 

"  The  next  will  be  closer,"  said  the  Duke  softly. 
"  Meanwhile,  the  Book  burns." 

But  the  Archduke  did  not  fall  into  the  trap, 
and  loose  the  eye-grip  a  second  time. 

"  Let  it  burn ! "  he  answered,  "  I  'd  rather  kill 
you  than  save  it — but  I  will  do  both." 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          355 

"  If  you  can,  cousin !  if  you  can — "  and  the 
swords  rang  on. 

And  the  Duke  was  right — the  Book  was  burning, 
slowly,  but  burning  none  the  less.  His  throw  had 
been  a  trifle  short,  and  instead  of  being  in  the 
jieart  of  the  fire  it  was  on  the  outer  edge,  where 
the  coals  were  not  so  glowing.  There  the  leather 
and  metal  cover  had  protected  it  for  a  short  while, 
but  now  the  tiny  flames  were  crawling  along  the 
edges,  shooting  up  quick  pencils  of  light  that  flared 
ever  higher  and  more  frequent. 

And  Dehra  caught  the  gleam  when  it  flashed 
the  brightest,  and  in  a  fury  of  desire  she  drove  at 
Madeline  Spencer.  Hitherto  she  had  aimed  only 
to  disarm  her,  now  it  was  the  Book  at  any  price. 

But  the  American  woman's  defense  was  still 
impenetrable;  defence  was  her  forte — trick,  feint, 
attack,  she  knew  every  one,  and  always  her  sword 
blocked  them  or  turned  them  aside.  But  there 
she  had  stopped;  never  once  had  she  herself  as- 
sumed the  offensive.  She  would  take  no  chance  of 
killing  the  Regent;  and  she  had  soon  discovered 
the  Regent  was  not  aiming  to  kill  her.  But  now 
she  felt  the  change,  and  she  knew  that  it  was  a 
matter  of  only  a  little  while  until  she  would  have 
to  yield  or  be  sped.  She  could  hear  Lotzen  and 
the  Archduke,  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  still 
fighting  as  fiercely  as  at  the  beginning; — the 
taunting  laugh;  the  quip  given,  and  returned;  the 
crash  of  a  chair  as  one  of  them  kicked  it  away; 


356  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

but  all  she  saw  was  the  flitting  steel  before  her,  and 
the  Princess'  glowing  eyes. 

Of  a  sudden  there  came  a  burst  of  voices, 
the  door  toward  the  Council  Chamber  was  dashed 
open,  and  Count  Epping  rushed  in,  and  all  the 
Ministers  behind  him. 

Madeline  Spencer  drew  back  and  lowered  her 
sword;  the  Princess  sprang  to  the  fire-place  and 
rescued  the  Book,  smothering  the  flames  with  the 
hearth  rug;  but  Lotzen  ground  out  an  oath  and 
flung  himself  with  fresh  fierceness  at  the  Archduke. 

At  first  even  the  imperturbable  Prime  Minister 
had  been  too  astonished  to  act;  now  he  came 
slowly  forward,  his  old,  lean  face  aglow  with  the 
joy  of  the  combat  and  the  music  of  the  steel. 
Then  he  stopped  and  stood,  watching,  head  slightly 
forward,  lips  half  parted,  eyes  shining,  fingers 
playing  lovingly  over  his  own  hilt.  Ah!  it  was  a 
good  fight  to  look  upon;  a  noble  fight,  indeed; 
such  masterly  sword  play  he  had  never  seen,  nor 
was  ever  like  to  see  again;  the  swift  attacks,  the 
fierce  rallies,  the  marvellous  agility,  the  steady  eye, 
the  steel  wrist.  And  then,  the  nerve  of  him  who 
was  losing,  and  must  know  it;  for  Lotzen  was 
losing — surely  losing.  Twice  the  Archduke  had 
driven  him  around  the  table;  now  he  forced  him 
slowly  back  ....  back  ....  back 
to  the  wall  ....  against  it 
.  .  .  .  tight  against  it. 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          357 

'*  Yield,  cousin ! "  he  said ;  "  it 's  your  last 
chance." 

But  the  Duke  only  smiled  mockingly  and  fought 
on. 

With  an  appealing  cry  Madeline  Spencer  darted 
toward  them. 

"  Spare  him,  Armand ! "  she  pleaded,  "  spare 
him ! " 

The  Archduke  stepped  out  of  distance,  but  with 
point  still  advanced. 

"  Take  him !  "  he  said,  "  take  him,  and  joy  with 
him!" 

Ferdinand  of  Lotzen  slowly  raised  his  sword  in 
salute. 

"  My  thanks,  cousin ! "  he  said,  "  I  can  accept 
from  her  what  I  could  not  from  you.  You  have 
bested  me — the  game  is  over.  I  shall  not  be  needed 
at  the  reading  of  the  decree. — Your  Royal  High- 
ness— Messieurs  of  the  Council — I  bid  you  fare- 
well." He  held  out  his  hand  to  Madeline  Spencer. 
"  Come,  my  Duchess,  we  will  to  your  Paris  and 
the  Rue  Royale. — Monsieur  le  Comte,  the  door !  " 
— and  with  all  the  stately  grace  and  courteous 
deference  of  a  minuet  he  led  her  down  the  room, 
and  bowed  her  out,  and  himself  after. 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence;  then  the  Arch- 
duke spoke. 

"  My  lords,  the  Book  of  Laws  is  found,  or  so 
much  of  it  as  the  fire  has  spared.  How  we  chanced 
to  come  upon  it  here  will  best  be  told  another 


358  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

time;  enough  now  that  but  for  the  daring  and 
quick  wit  of  Her  Royal  Highness,  it  would  have 
been  forever  lost."  He  glanced  at  the  clock.  "  The 
hour  for  the  Council  has  already  passed.  Your 
Excellency,  the  Laws  are  before  you,  will  you  do 
us  the  favor  to  read  the  decree  ?  " 

The  Count  stepped  forward  and  lifted  the  Book 
from  the  rug;  of  the  heavy  cover  little  remained 
but  the  brass  hinges;  the  first  few  pages  were 
scorched  and  half  consumed,  and  all  the  edges 
charred  and  split  and  eaten  into  by  the  flames;  but 
otherwise  it  seemed  to  be  without  hurt. 

Yet  Dehra's  hand  went  to  her  heart,  and  her 
breath  came  sharply,  as  slowly  and  carefully 
Epping  turned  the  leaves,  holding  them  together 
the  while,  lest  they  break  apart.  Was  the  decree 
there!  Might  Lotzen  have  destroyed  it — torn  it 
from  the  Book,  before  they  came  upon  him! 

Then  the  Count  stopped,  and  bending  down 
read  for  a  moment.  When  he  looked  up  there  was 
a  strange  expression  on  his  face;  he  did  not  speak 
at  once;  and  when  he  did  his  voice  was  repressed 
and  almost  trembling. 

"  It  is  here,"  he  said ;  "  executed  the  day  before 
King  Frederick  died.  I  read  it : 

"'Section  one  hundred  thirty-first. — It  is  hereby 
decreed  that  His  Royal  Highness  the  Archduke  Ar- 
mand  shall  be  eligible  to  the  Crown  of  Valeria,  and 
he  is  herewith  restored  to  his  proper  place  in  the  Line 
of  Succession,  as  the  right  heir  male  of  Hugo,  second 
son  of  Henry  the  Third.'" 


THE  CANOPY  OF  SWORDS          359 

For  an  instant  Armand's  brain  whirled — then 
he  awoke  to  Dehra's  hands  in  his,  and  her  voice 
in  his  ear,  and  the  shouts  and  waving  blades  of  the 
Ministers. 

"  The  ritual,  Epping !  the  ritual ! "  the  Princess 
cried,  and  caught  up  the  sword  she  had  tossed 
aside  to  rescue  the  Book — then  gasped  in  wonder- 
ing fear,  as  the  old  Count  raised  his  hand  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  Wait !  "  he  said ;  "  there  is  another  decree  that 
comes  before  the  ritual.  Attend! — 

" '  Section  one  hundred  thirty-second. — Whereas,  for 
the  first  time  in  a  thousand  years  the  Dalberg  has  no 
son:  It  is  hereby  decreed  that  the  succession  as  Head 
of  the  House  of  Dalberg,  and,  ipso  facto,  to  the  Crown 
of  Valeria,  together  with  all  their  hereditary  titles, 
powers,  possessions  and  privileges,  shall  be  vested  in 
our  only  child  and  daughter,  Dehra,  Princess  Royal  of 
Valeria.  And  all  and  every  decree  conflicting  there- 
with is  hereby  specifically  revoked  and  annulled.' " 

And  now  the  swords  were  up  again,  and  the 
Archduke's  with  them,  and  the  wild  huzza  roared 
through  the  Palace  and  far  into  the  Park;  and 
Bernheim  and  Moore,  coming  down  the  corridor, 
dashed  into  the  library  and  stopped,  amazed;  then 
joined  in,  knowing  that  it  must  mean  victory. 

But  Dehra,  herself,  pale-faced,  tear-eyed  and 
trembling,  turned  and  flung  her  arms  around 
Armand's  neck. 


360  THE  PRINCESS  DEHRA 

"  It 's  wrong,  dear !  it 's  wrong !  "  she  cried ; 
"  you  are  the  King ! — you  are  the  Dalberg ! " 

"  No,  sweetheart,  it  is  right ! "  he  said,  releasing 
her  arms,  and  bowing  over  her  hand  until  his  lips 
touched  it.  "  Praise  God !  it  is  right." 

Then  he  stepped  back  and  flashed  his  sword  above 
her  head;  and  all  the  others  sprang  to  meet  it, 
and  locked  there,  a  canopy  of  steel. 

"  Valeria  hails  the  Head  of  the  House  of  Dal- 
berg as  the  Queen ! "  he  cried. 

And  from  every  throat  came  back  the  answer: 

"  We  hail  the  Dalberg  Queen  !  " 

And  now  the  trembling  had  passed ;  she  looked 
up  at  the  swords  proudly,  and  stretching  out  her 
hand  she  touched  them  one  by  one;  but  touching 
Armand's  last — and  her  eyes  sought  his,  and  over 
her  face  broke  the  adorable  smile,  and  she  drew 
down  his  blade,  and  kissed  it. 

"  Hail,  also,  to  the  King !  "  she  said ;  "  your 
King  and  mine,  my  lords ! — the  King  that  is  to 
be." 


THE   END 


THE  DASHING  NOVEL 

THE 

COLONEL 

OF  THE 

RED  HUZZARS 

By 
JOHN  REED  SCOTT 

Stirring  adventures,  courtly  intrigue,  and  fencing  both 
of  sword  and  wit,  fill  the  pages  of  this  story.  The  plot  is 
built  upon  a  wager  between  Major  Dalberg,  U.  S.  A.,  and 
a  friend  that  within  a  certain  time  both  would  be  dining 
with  the  king  and  dancing  with  the  princess  royal  of  Va- 
leria. Strangely  enough,  Dalberg  proves  to  be  of  the  blood 
royal  of  Valeria,  is  reinstated  into  his  ancestral  rights,  and 
when  matters  are  about  to  reach  a  climax,  the  pretender 
steps  in,  and  there  ensues  an  encounter  between  American 
pluck  and  unscrupulous  cleverness. 

"  There's  not  a  dull  page  in  it." — The  Index,  Pittsburg. 

"  A  slap-dashing  vacation-day  romance." — Evening  Sun,  New  York. 

"  So  naively  fresh  in  its  handling, so  plausible  through  its  naturalness, 
that  it  comes  like  a  mountain  breeze  across  the  far-spreading  desert  of 
similar  romances." — Gazette- Times,  Pittsburg. 

Illustrations    in    Colors    by     CLARENCE    F.    UNDERWOOD 
I2mo.     Decorated  cloth,  $1.50 

J.   B.    LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY    Philadelphia 


A  New  Romance  Teeming  with  Love  and  Adventure 

BEATRIX 
OF  CLARE 

By  JOHN  REED  SCOTT 

Whose  "Colonel  of  the  Red  Huzzars"     (Eleven  Editions)    captured 
first  place  as  1906*3  most  dashing  novel. 

England  in  the  time  of  Richard  III  forms  the 
setting  for  this  tale  of  romance  and  adventure,  which 
takes  place  close  about  the  throne.  Beatrix,  beauty, 
heiress,  and  Countess  of  Clare,  is  won  by  the  young 
knight  and  courtier,  De  Lacy,  beneath  the  friendly 
smiles  of  both  king  and  queen,  while  their  love  affair 
is  troubled  by  abduction  and  bloodshed,  and  influenced 
by  the  great  events  which  stir  the  kingdom  and  even 
threaten  the  crown.  The  novel  is  full  of  "  go " 
from  start  to  finish. 


"Not  a  dull  line  in 
the  book." 
Pitttburg  Dispatch. 


11  The  story  is  ennobling  as 
well  as  bright  and  fascinat- 
ing." Baltimore  Sun. 


"  Holds  the  interest 
closely  to  the  end." 
Boston  Ev.  Tranicrift 


"  Noteworthy  as  a  real  contribution  to  historical 
romance."      San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

FOUR  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR  BY 
CLARENCE  F.  UNDERWOOD. 

izmo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  PHILADELPHIA 


BEAU   BROCADE 

By       BARONESS        O  R   C  Z    Y 

Author  of  "  The    Scarlet    Pimpernel,"    "/  Will  Repay,"  etc. 

A  captivating  romance  of  love  and  chivalry — the 
adventures  of  a  charming  highwayman  of  the  days 
of  the  English  Pretender. 

"  Faith  and  courage  make  the  story  of  c  Beau 
Brocade '  a  very  interesting  one.  The  hero  is  delight- 
fully fascinating — bubbling  over  with  exuberance  of  youth ; 
nothing  is  a  hardship  for  him.  He  reminds  one  of  Dumas's 
famous  D'Artagnan,  and  most  especially  in  his  fighting 
escapades.  Gloriously  dramatic  is  the  fight  in  the  forge, 
when,  by  his  prowess,  Beau  Brocade  holds  at  bay  a  lot  of 
redcoats,  escaping  on  his  steed  c  Jack  O'Lantern.'  " 

— N.  Y.  American  Book  Review  Contest. 

"  The  story  is  so  well  told,  so  full  of  life  and  action, 
that  one  never  loses  interest  from  start  to  finish." 

— Pittsburgh  Dispatch. 

"  Let  no  one  begin  reading  this  tale  late  in  the  even- 
ing, for  there  is  no  stopping-place  till  the  end,  and  the  end 
is  worth  reaching."  — The  Congregationalist,  Boston. 

"  The  illustrations  in  color  are  unusually  attractive." 

— Chicago  Tribune. 

FOUR  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR  BY 

CLARENCE  F.  UNDERWOOD. 

lamo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 


J.  B.   LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS      PHILADELPHIA 


BY  THE  BARONESS  ORC2Y 

"I  WILL  REPAY" 

A  Romance  of  the  French  Revolution 


I2mo.     Decorated  Cloth.  $1.50 


THIS  period  of  the  great  French  Revolution  appeals 
to  the  imagination  in  a  way  that  no  other  historic 
event  does.  It  was  so  very  terrible  and  yet  so 
very  recent.  The  Baroness  Orczy's  story  deals  with 
the  most  stirring  moment  of  that  exciting  time — when 
the  ' '  Law  of  the  Suspect ' '  was  in  full  force,  which 
gave  every  French  man  or  woman  the  right  to  denounce 
a  fellow  man  or  woman  to  that  awful  tribunal  of  the 
Revolution  which  knew  neither  mercy  nor  justice.  The 
romance  of  "I  Will  Repay ' '  is  concerned  with  the 
tragedy  of  a  soul-conflict  'twixt  love  and  a  mistaken 
sense  of  duty.  The  Scarlet  Pimpernel,  of  her  former 
book  of  this  title,  plays  an  important  part  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  story  of  "  I  Will  Repay. " 

"A  good  story  of  action,  admirably  told." 

— Press,  Philadelphia. 

"  It  will  be  read  eagerly,  closed  with  a  long  satis- 
fied sigh."  — Nashville  American. 

' '  Clever  and  well  worked  out,  its  details  related 
with  dash  and  spirit,  its  intrigue  and  devices  adroitly 
managed."  — Sun,  New  York. 

"The  story  is  well  written,  is  full  of  incident  and 
rapid  movement,  is  characterized  by  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  spirit  of  the  time,  and  displays  clear  char- 
acterization and  great  power  of  analysis  of  human 
nature.  It  is  worth  reading,  for  it  will  interest  from  the 
first  page  to  the  last."  — Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  PHILADELPHIA 


The  Affair  at  Pine  Court 

By  NELSON   RUST  GILBERT 

A  truly  American  novel  of  love  and  mystery,  tak- 
ing place  at  the  Adirondack  lodge  of  a  New  York 
millionaire.  It  is  a  story  of  living  people  set  against 
a  background  of  October-painted  forests,  azure  lakes, 
and  limpid  trout-streams. 

The  reader  lives  through  such  exciting  days  in  the 
depths  of  this  great  forest,  with  characters  so  well 
drawn  and  so  intensely  human  as  to  seem  alive.  The 
arrival  of  a  German  count  gives  direction  and  impetus 
to  incipient  love  affairs.  He  arouses  the  greed  of 
the  humble  natives  by  exhibiting  the  wonderful 
"  Lens  of  the  Gau "  in  the  presence  of  his  host's 
butler.  These  envious  enemies  of  the  rich  pleasure- 
seekers  at  the  court  put  the  house  in  a  stage  of  siege, 
during  which  each  guest  displays  his  or  her  real  char- 
acter. The  many  incidents  of  the  forest  war  are  told 
with  admirable  skill,  and  a  happily  ending  love  affair 
keeps  the  reader's  attention  taut  and  eager. 

"A  tale  of  mystery,  crisply  and  briskly  told." 

— Leader,  Cleveland. 

ft  An  unusual  story  in  which  the  author  has  pictured  real  men, 
who  ring  true  in  the  time  of  danger. ' '  — Buffalo  Express. 

«'  A  book  whose  plot  is  well  conceived  and  wrought  out,  whose 
craftsmanship  is  excellent,  and  whose  ability  to  hold  the  interest  to 
the  last  page  is  undisputed."  — The  Interior,  Chicago. 

«*  A  book  to  be  read  not  only  for  its  strong  human  interest,  but 
for  its  true  picture  of  life  in  the  Adirondacks. " 

— Argonaut,  San  Francisco. 

THREE  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR 
BY  FRANK.  H.   DESCH. 

izmo.      Cloth,  $1.50. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  PHILADELPHIA 


When  Kings  Go  Forth 
to  Battle 

By  WILLIAM    WALLACE   WHITELOCK 

Author  of  «« The  Literary  Guillotine,"  etc. 

A  small  German  principality  is  the  seat  of 
exciting  warfare.  An  unscrupulous  king  and  a  con- 
niving "minister  of  interior  improvements"  find 
their  match  in  two  invincible  Americans  who  keep 
the  secret  of  a  young  prince's  hiding-place,  and  with 
characteristic  American  energy  join  in  a  revolutionary 
plot  to  unseat  the  reigning  monarch  and  place  the 
prince  upon  the  throne. 

"  A  story  that  grasps  our  interest  with  its  first 
chapter  and  causes  us  to  follow  breathlessly  until  the 
climax."  — Baltimore  Sun. 

"  The  prettily  tinted  illustrations  by  Frank  H. 
Desch  are  particularly  praiseworthy." 

— Philadelphia  Press. 

"Told  with  energy  and  color,  and  it  is  well  worth 
reading."  — San  Francisco  Argonaut. 

"Some  excellent  illustrations  in  color  add  to  the 
beauty  of  the  volume."  — Nashville  American. 

THREE  FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR  BY 
FRANK  H.  DESCH.        izmo.       Cloth,  #1.50. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  ::  ::  ::  PHILADELPHIA 


THE  SMUGGLER 

By  ELLA  MIDDLETON  TYBOUT 

Author  of  "The  Wife  of  the  Secretary  of  State  "  and  "Poketown  People." 

This  is  not,  as  the  title  might  suggest,  a  tale  of 
daring  deeds  on  the  deep,  but  a  blithesome  story  of  the 
adventures  of  three  American  girls  while  spending 
their  summer  vacation  on  a  Canadian  island.  They 
become  involved  in  a  series  of  strange  happenings  by 
a  band  of  clever  smugglers  who  pose  as  their  friends, 
using  them  as  a  blind  in  their  smuggling  operations. 
There  is  a  pretty  love  story  interwoven  with  mystery, 
adventure,  and  humor,  that  holds  the  reader's  interest 
from  cover  to  cover. 


"  The  characters  are  mightily  convincing,  and  the  rapid-action 
plot  makes  the  most  indifferent  reader  « sit  up '  until  he  has 
devoured  the  last  word."  — Times-Dispatch,  Richmond,  l^a. 

"A  happy  blending  of  Stocktonesque  humor  and  Anna 
Katherine  Green  mystery."  — New  York  Globe. 

"A  brightly  written  story  for  those  who  like  light  and  agreeable 
fiction  that  is  free  from  coarseness."  — Boston  Budget  and  Beacon. 


ILLUSTRATED    IN    COLOR     BY     HOWARD    EVERETT    SMITH, 
izmo.      Cloth,  $1.50. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  PHILADELPHIA 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

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